The Little Mermaid and her Prince
by racherie
Summary: The knife the little mermaid held shook. In the next moment, she threw the knife into the waves. The waves lit up as the knife hit. The sun was rising above the ocean. The little mermaid looked at the prince through fading eyes and threw herself into the ocean. And, becoming sea foam, the little mermaid disappeared.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

RACHEL

"Have you done this before?" I whispered as we glided across the floor.

"Well, yeah," he shrugged, "But it's the first time I am feeling this way."

"What way?"

"This way. The way I can look into your eyes, the way I can just hold you like this." He gazed into my eyes, fluttering my heart as he had always done before.

"Oppa, naega..." I looked down, blushing violently.

Caressing my cheek, he chuckled to himself, "Aigoo, look how cute you can get." Gently, he bent down and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead. "Jagiya, saranghanda."

This time I blushed even more. Smirking to himself, he tied my arms around his neck as he reached and slowly caressed my back, before locking his masculine arms around my waist. Lifting my chin up with one finger, he looked at me in the eyes. His eyes were beautiful. They gave off this amazing aura and I felt my heart leap at his striking gaze.

His face grew serious. "Jagiya, no matter what happens, I will always love you... No matter what happens, trust me and never doubt my love for you, okay?"

Startled by his sudden confession, I nodded vigorously, "Mmm. Of course, Oppa."

"I knew that you would." Leaning down, he kissed me. I was so surprised, I didn't know what to do but hold on to him His kiss was powerful and heart-throbbing. I loved the way his lips tasted; sweet at first then not at all sweet; then sugary but not at all sugary... The corsage that he had gave me before the dance pressed against his chest... Then I realized. It was because our bodies were pressed close together. I could feel the soft petals of the forget-me-nots in between us, and I was beatific. The way I felt the contours of his face, the way his warm hands glided down the jewels on my dress, the way his warm, muscular body felt huddled close to mine, the way his lips moved with mine...

Breaking free from the kiss, his eyes bored into mine. "Jagiya, shall we take this somewhere else?" A sly smile played on his lips, framing his face into a cute little photograph. I yearned to agree to his request, but I guess we were taking things a little too far in our relationship.

"Ehhh... Oppa, maybe not tonight..." his face fell. I felt rather bad rejecting him, but... I couldn't do this. At least, not tonight.

Sensing my guilt, he pulled back a smile, "Gwenchana. It's too fast anyway..." then he started ranting off about bringing me overseas in the summer. Subsequently, I could not focus on what he was saying; the whole time, I kept thinking I had seen tears filling up the corners of his eyes. But was it really a figment of my imagination?

"I'm sorry for interrupting this special moment, but can I have a word with you?" Agalia, my best friend, asked me, smiling.

"Sure," Kai slowly released his hold on me. "I'll see you later, babe." I shuddered at his form of endearment and he guffawed in glee. Next he darted towards Sehun and Baekhyun, laughing with the guys.

"Rachel..." Agalia chirped in a syrupy voice. I knew she had seen and heard everything.

"YAH!" I slapped her lightly on the shoulder, giggling.

"The landlady needs you to be home, Rach. She needs to speak with you about something. I'm sorry... You can't engage in love chatter with Kai for long..." She shook her head pityingly.

I groaned in annoyance. "Well, okay... Could you help me tell Kai?"

"Sure. See you tomorrow at school!" She piped cheerfully.

Waving at her one last time, I ambled towards the exit of the ballroom. Reminiscing on how glamorous Kai had been in a tux and with his hair poshly slicked back, as well as our heart-warming kiss, i smiled and occasionally giggled. He was so sweet. I was beginning to be in love with him more and more...

"Oh crap. Where's my purse?" With a sickening pitfall in my stomach, I realized that I had left it back at the dance near the benches.

I started back for the ballroom, which was basically Kai's house. Kai was one rich guy. His house was like a palace, and for some important reason, his parents had invited me for this dance. Every single room had Victorian paintings and charming bright chandeliers. The ballroom, reserved for special occasions, was no other.

Reaching the ballroom, I bravely asked one of the servants for my purse. As they were rummaging the place in search of my purse, an elegant voice boomed in the microphone, an oxymoron on its own.

"Presenting to you, my son and my future daughter-in-law!" Kai's mother vociferated through the mic, sending chills down my spine as the sharp voice reached my ears. The words barely registered in my mind when Kai, in all his pride and glamour, came walking out of the grand doors with a simple, pretty girl, parading hand in hand. Hand in hand.

Dazed and disoriented, I spotted Agalia and Baekhyun running towards me. "Rach, I thought you left?" there was a concerned edge to her voice and she bit her lower lip in anxiety. I knew she would never allow me to hear the truth, so I dove towards Baekhyun, bombarding him with questions and demanding for an answer.

Baekhyun, feeling sorry but knowing that I needed the truth at this moment, explained to me what had led to the sudden turn of events. Kai had been forced into an arranged marriage by his parents with a girl of the high class society, Tan Cheklin, who was the daughter of the richest billionaire in Seoul. Kai had been coerced by his mother countless times to break up with me, this 'village-leper', but he had persisted in his word.

As a last resort, his parents had this grand ball to make Tan Cheklin ssi and their son an official couple, and to announce that Kai and Cheklin ssi were engaged. My heart sank. Engaged.

"In addition, Kai's parents invited you to this ball, to spite you, and so Agalia and I had to distract you by telling you that the landlady needed to speak to you, and Kai..." Baekhyun trailed off, indignant on my account. A warning look from Agalia to stop zipped his mouth.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. I looked across the ballroom, spotting Sehun in a corner. His eyes were brimming with tears, as he looked on at his beloved girlfriend getting engaged with his best friend. My heart reached out for Sehun and as our eyes met, he tried to smile and mouthed, "Rachel ah, gwenchana!" I guess he had already admitted defeat.

Sehun, Agalia and I came from the low society of Seoul and like us, he was deathly poor. I reminded myself that he probably hurt even more, seeing that he knew it before but still attended the dance on Cheklin's account. Just to be there for her.

"Rachel ah..." Agalia's voice interrupted my train of thoughts, and she patted me comfortingly on the shoulder. She paused, thinking of the right words to put into use. But what could she say? No words could explain how I felt at that moment.

"No matter what happens..."

"I will always love you..."

"Trust me and never doubt my love for you, okay?"

I recalled about everything that had happened that night. His words I thought were promises, they were meant for reassurance; his kiss I thought was endearment, they were meant to be for the purpose of putting my mind at rest; his request to make love tonight which I thought was a sign of desire, it was because it was his last resort to keep me...

My heart was compressed with an asphyxiating squeeze. Kai... Naega... Omo... Eottoke?

Out of the corner of my eye, I espied Kai racing towards my side. "Rach, I thought... I thought you went home?" His eyes were tainted with worry and anxiety. At this moment, I could not control my emotions.

Tears spilled out of my eyes. Painful memories crossed my mind, the way Kai looked as he pulled me out to dance, the way he held me, the way his desperate kiss felt, his look of stress as he walked out with Cheklin ssi, the resignation Sehun had in his expression, Baekhyun's words of indignance, Agalia's comfort, Kai's worry... All blood had drained from my head as tears slipped down the contours of my face.

Kai pulled me into his arms. His lips at my ear, he consoled, "Mianhae... Mianhae, Jagiya... Mianhae..." Bringing me closer to him, he guaranteed, "Gwenchana, Rachel, gwenchana... I promise you, I will get us out of this. I'll make you mine officially. I won't let you down."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

KAI

Crashing any known precious ornament that was placed on some shelf of my palace-like home, I heard my servant, the only person whom I thought I could trust in this home, grimace. I shattered all my father's glass paintings, and reduced all of my mother's dear ornaments into smithereens.

Stopping for a while, I panted. I couldn't believe they had the gall to hurt my girl like this. Had they not considered the consequences of their actions? The audacity! As I surveyed the destroyed surroundings of the once well-known ballroom, I espied my mother's beloved glass teapot that had been acquired in Amsterdam. It sat there looking pretty, mocking my inept attempt to end its pride and joy.

Indignant on my own accord, I brisk-walked towards the teapot, each step causing increasing wrath to envelope my body in a fiery inferno. I stopped in my tracks right in front if it.

My servant gulped. "No, sir, please, not the tea-"

Thrusting it high up into the cold air, I put an end to the teapot's conceit.

"Sir-"

"Gwenchan seubnida, let him do whatever he wants. You can go now." My mother's once-thought angelic voice, but now sinister and unscrupulous, loomed forebodingly behind me.

My servant dismissed, it was only my mother and me at the scene now.

Tears flooded my eyes. My mother... I still remembered what a great mother she was before I uncovered her darkest secret. She always taught me never to judge one by his cover, that being wealthy and having the social status did not mean that one could strut around pompously without a care in the world. The woman who had taught me to be humble, to accept the less fortunate and treat them as humans, even to the extent of best friends... This was coincidentally the woman who arranged for me to marry Cheklin ssi and who coerced me into breaking up with the first girl I had come to love.

My shoulders shook from the weight of the tears and my knees buckled, threatening to concave any time.

"Jongin ah..." My mother's sorrowful voice reached out for me.

"Don't call me that. You don't deserve it." I replied coldly. In this moment, I hated her. She vowed she would never allow me into such a predicament, yet now she was the one who caused it.

I thought she was different. But I guess the people of the elite society are no different, are they? Was the company that important? Was it that crucial to allow us to keep the company, that she would even risk their son's happiness? This was something I could not comprehend. What was I? Their dear, adorable son whom they used to dote on, or a priceless object needed for the revolting exchange of "hand me your son and you get your money"?

Cheklin's parents were filthy rich. My parents' company were on the brink of shutting its doors to the world, and a tie between the Tan family's beloved daughter and me seemed to be the only option for them to keep the company.

"Jongin, hear me out..."

"There isn't anything to say, Mrs Kim. You are not at a sale, you can't just buy and sell what you want." I turned to her, tears pouring out of my eyes. "So is this really what I am? An object dutifully cared for to ensure it is in its best condition by the time it is sold?"

"Aniya..."

"THEN WHAT AM I?" I screamed at her, causing her to jump. The rumored-to-be iron lady seemed like she was not exact made of strong,hard metal. Because in that instant, I saw something in her eyes. Even though it was only for a moment, I saw it.

A flicker of fear.

In annoyance, I grabbed my jacket coolly by the collar and stormed out of the house. Right behind me, I heard her voice calling for me to return home. But all rage had drained the blood from my head, and I knew I needed to go somewhere. Anywhere.

My cellphone buzzed. It was Rachel. Despite the day's tragic happenings, her name unlocked my cold and distant heart and unzipped an irrepressible smile on my face.

Kai, gwenchana? Don't be too harsh on Omonim.

I shook my head. At a time like this, she still placed others before herself. That babo. Tears filled my eyes.

I'll coming to your house. I won't be able to sleep without you tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

RACHEL

Falling backwards onto the bed, I cried softly to myself. The day's happenings re-enacted in my mind and I shuddered when I thought of how close I was to losing him. Kai was my everything. If I lost him, I wouldn't know what to do...

I thought about how his kiss had made my heart flutter like a butterfly which had just arose from its cocoon; about how my heart broke at the dejected stoop of his shoulders when I refused his heart's desire; about how his eyes mirrored my misery when I found out that my boyfriend of one year was engaged.

Nervously twiddling my fingers, I felt tears streaming down my face uncontrollably. This matter... If it was not resolved quickly, things would turn for the worse... It was like a fire which refused to be quenched at will. I thought about how his mother's prominent voice enunciated words that were like a thousand needles piercing my heart. As I choked back a sob of despair, I thought about how the only man I had wanted was slipping from my grasp.

Stop it, Rachel. He must be feeling worse.

My heart aroused, I picked up my phone and typed a quick message to him.

Gwenchan, Kai, I still love you.

How could I still comment on this like nothing hurt me? I was so selfish, I only thought about how he would be worried that I would stop loving him... The truth was, he had so much more important things to handle. Omo... Given his nasty temper, it was no doubt that he would give his mother a terrible dressing down. Sighing, I clicked on the backspace button and held it there until all the words had been deleted.

Kai, gwenchana? Don't be too harsh on Omonim. It's not her fault.

However, the selfish devil in me ordered me to delete the last four words. Succumbing to the devil, I did as I was told and clicked the send button.

Almost instantaneously, my phone buzzed with his message. Seeing his name on my phone screen sent a beatific smile widening my mouth.

I'm coming to your house. I won't be able to sleep without you tonight.

Omo... Kai was coming? I rushed myself to the bathroom, untangling the locks of my hair which had clumped together while I was weeping. Trust you, Rachel. I thought to myself as I spotted my anxious look in the mirror. Just trust you to try to doll up for Kai. He has already seen your most pathetic state... Nothing would really matter anymore...

Outside my paint-peeling door of my pathetic little flat, I could hear shuffled footsteps hurrying towards my door. As softly as I could, I unlocked the door.

Right at this moment, Kai literally spun me into his arms and brought me into a heart-throbbing kiss. This kiss was so powerful, so desperate, I felt blood boiling under my lower lip. The slight quivering of his lips told me he was about to cry and as the warm luminance from the light overhead shone on his visage, I saw tears amassing in his eyes.

"Kai..." I broke free from his hold, and as my hands travelled to his wrists and got a firm grip on them, I gently pried his arms off my waist. Feeling the wet prominent features of his face, I smiled.

"Kai, gwenchana?"

Emotions were raging wildly in his exploding heart, as could be seen by the kiss. Sighing, he reached forward and plastered a reassuring kiss on my forehead.

"Saranghae," he whispered gently.

"Me too," I muttered under my breath, avoiding his scrutiny.

"I want to sleep with you tonight. Can I?" He asked tentatively, worried about my reply.

Gazing into his eyes lovingly, I noticed the tears welling up in his pretty eyes. I made up my mind in that instant.

"Sure."

I leaned on his shoulder, trying my best to fall asleep. But how could I fall asleep after everything that had happened? Although the day's undertakings had ceased, in my mind, in my heart, I knew that it was just the beginning of everything. In being with Kai and refusing to leave him, I had sparked a flame too fierce and frightening to douse. Eottoke? I didn't want to leave him...

"You asleep?" His breath caressed my forehead and sent shivers down my spine. Kai was too gorgeous for his own good.

"Course not." I heard my voice waver pathetically.

He lifted his left arm and slid it around my shoulders, bringing me closer to him. Recognizing his intent, I leaned down further onto his chest. I didn't know why, but my head felt really nice there. As if... As if we we made for each other.

"I love you," he randomly confessed, planting a kiss on my cheek.

"I love you too."

He stared into space, while thoughts flitted in his mind. I was perturbed by what could be going on in his head right then. As if he had been sensing my gaze, he turned to look at me, ostensibly perplexed.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," I responded, looking back down onto the bed while sneaking a glance at the expression on his face.

He smiled slightly and stroked my hair and the side of my face gently. I closed my eyes into his touch, feeling sleep slowly take over even though I had not been fatigued before.

Sensing my sleepiness, he began singing me a lullaby softly. His voice was low and beautifully angelic, and I felt my personal nightingale shining down on me.

"So, baby, you don't have to let me go.."

His passionate voice sounded in my ears like a child's laughter. My eyelids drooped lower and lower...

"Yeongwontorok dan han saranman saranghaegil wonhae, I can do all for you,"

-until they closed, and I drifted off to my dreams.

"Cause you are the only one for me."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

KAI

I sauntered towards the cafe in which Cheklin had requested to meet me. My fiancée. I raised an eyebrow in disgust for remembering such an inconsequential thing in my life. It was as if we were ever going to get married. No, we would never be together- Cheklin had Sehun, and Rachel was mine.

Since that night, we vowed to each other that we would never let anything come between us anymore. In addition, she made me resolve to never hide anything from her. We are together, she had reasoned. Couples don't hide anything from each other.

My heart constricted and my stomach lurched sickeningly. How was I going to get my parents to accept Rachel as my girl? Just because of the revolting reason that she was poor, my parents refused her as my official girlfriend. Seriously, we're in the twenty-first century now, for goodness sake. Did it matter that I was with someone of lower social status than me?

In my heart, Rachel would forever be of the same status with me. We are one and the same. I would never neglect nor forsake her because of such illogical reasons.

I pushed open the door, sending the tinkling of the wind chimes to announce my arrival. The radiator at the door greeted me with open arms, and I panted as I finally received warmth. Outside, a snowstorm was practically raging, and on the inside, it was pouring.

"Jongin ssi!" Cheklin waved at me. She didn't look the least bit enthusiastic at my entry. And why should she be? She's not in the least interested in me.

Suavely ordering a drink, I looked at the girl in front of me who was supposedly my fiancée.

"So... Let's get to the point. What do you want?" I asked straight-forwardly.

"Well..." Cheklin started.

A waitress interrupted my crucial discussion with Cheklin. Placing the glasses on our table, I heard the clinking of glass.

I rolled my eyes. I had no time for this.

Flashing my pearly whites at her, I beckoned her away. She literally collapsed at my gaze and shuffled off quickly.

"I don't want to marry you." She commented truthfully.

"Neither do I, miss." I sighed.

"I already... Have Sehun."

"Of course. And I'm taken too." this would be much easier. I didn't know much about this girl. But she was trying to be reasonable, so I guess this wouldn't be hard. But before that, let me try one last thing...

I leaned over the table and held her hands in mine. Locking her gaze, I smiled playfully. Sehun was never going to know about how I was about to play with his girl.

"But what if you have to?"

"Ow!" I literally shrieked. Cheklin had trampled on my toes with her high heel shoes, sending a searing pain through my leg.

"You've got the nerve. Sehun's your friend." she alleged firmly.

"I was just kidding." Sehun has to seriously restrain his girl. I had thought Sehun, given his gentle nature, would fall for someone sweet. Not this.

"It's a deal then." She slung her bag onto her arm. "Gotta go. Bye, stupid." tossing her hair over her shoulder, she strutted off.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

RACHEL

Kai's mother summoned me to go to The Kim Estates to discuss important things with her. According to her, she hinted that there were some problems to solve. Humph, I pouted. So that was what I was, wasn't it? A seedling to be pulled out of its roots even before it could blossom. Deeming that it was a weed, that would cause extreme and universal harm instead of visual beauty. But I had never considered myself as beautiful, so I would definitely not be visually pleasant to her.

I trod carefully on the polished marble floor, admiring the estate's grandeur. As the butler, Mr Kris led me towards the office room, I noticed the way he walked with ease along the floorboards. I guess this is the style of the rich huh? Even their butlers pull on a air of glamour... I guess... I will never be able to blend in with the elite...

Mr Kris nodding to me, I knocked my knuckles gently on the wooden door.

"Come in," a stern voice ordered.

Shivers ran down my spine as I turned the knob and entered the room. Inside, almost everything was made of glass. I was fascinated by the fact that even in the office, the light hanging overhead was a pretty gold chandelier. Full-length mirrors flooded the room and there stood a desk with documents making a beeline for its owner.

Behind the full desk was Mrs Kim. The tall back of her chair was to me, I could sense her sighing behind the chair. My heart wrenched with pity for her. Even if she was the one who was trying to break us up, she really yearned for her son's love.

"I'm sure you know what you're here for." The cold and distant voice emitted from the chair. The pity that lingered in my heart vanished instantly. Things were definitely not as simple as they seemed.

She spun around in her chair and turned to look at me. She was strikingly beautiful. Her eyes had been generously painted with eye-catching eyeshadow, her eyelashes amazingly long. Her prominent cheekbones stood out even more than it had under normal conditions. Her nose was plaster straight, and very sharp. Her lips were full and coated with crimson red lipstick, and on her neck hung an expensive Yves St Laurent. The make-up on her face had a porcelain doll effect- warm make-up on a cold face... I had never found myself acquainted with her, hence my admiration for her beauty. In comparison, my face was completely "natural". And that's not even funny.

"Omoni..." I started.

"You don't deserve to call me that." I cringed. When will I ever be able to seek the understanding of Kai's mother?

"Mrs Kim, I..." I sighed. "What can I do for you?" what can I do for her? I am just a useless weed, aren't I?

Her eyes were dark and heavy. "Leave Jongin," she ordered.

My entire world came crashing down at that moment. Memories and unpleasant happenings flooded my mind, and I found myself in rapid, short staccato breaths. I couldn't leave Kai. Why couldn't she understand that? Tears made their way gradually to my eyes, but I refused to allow them to betray my emotions. I had to show her that I wasn't any girl. I wasn't one who just broke down in a desperate hope that she would take pity on me. My situation was not pitiable. At least, she didn't have the right to pity me. Rachel, you have to stay strong. Surely you can do that can't you, for Kai?

"I'm sorry, I can't..." I shook my head.

"You are not compatible."

I was sickened to the pits. My eyes widened at those words. Biting my lower lip, I allowed her to state an explanation for her misconception.

She arose from her seat and her high heels clicked in motion. "Jongin is the only son of the Kim family, which holds years of history. By far, we have been one of the richest families in Seoul."

She stopped short, looking at me through demeaning eyes. Narrowing her eyes, she continued, "You are, well. Practically a villager. What can you do for Jongin?"

I tried to interrupt to explain myself.

"Despite your education, which you had to acquire by scholarships," her voice changed on that word, "You are of a lowly background and you don't deserve to be one of us. Let me see, Miss, what if in the future Jongin has to attend a dinner and dance? And say, he has you as his partner for the night," she snorted, "What good are you to him? Once you open that filthy mouth of yours, nothing good will come out of it!"

"But..." I protested.

"Don't you dare interrupt me, young lady!" She growled; a menacing lion in its lair. "You will only bring shame to him, and the Kim family, and I personally will see to it that this does not happen. You must leave him immediately, for I want no rumors out there to be spreading like wild fire."

"Rumors? What rumors?" I enquired in a most elegant voice.

"Let's see," she paused, using her hands to frame the air, as if she could see something I couldn't see, "What about...'Heir to Kim Company Dating A Village-leper'? How would you love to see Jongin being sad at that?"

My head hung low, almost touching my neck.

"Cheklin, however," she continued, seeing that I was making no further protests, "Would be our pride and joy. She's the daughter of the well-to-do Tan family... If she is with Jongin, they would be most compatible. Look at how their engagement sparked so much positive uproar in terms of entertainment news and gossip! I can already see them hand in hand, walking on the red carpet..."

This was too much for me. To imagine my beloved Kai walking down the aisle with some other woman... Was this fair?

"But they don't love each other!" I clamored.

She smiled, but I had a feeling it wasn't anything nice. "Love doesn't mean anything in this time of age, my dear," she spat, "Don't be stupid. Only the powerful can rule, and only the rich are powerful. Love does not conquer everything."

I gave an involuntary sniff. Rachel! Can you made more of a fool of yourself than you already have? What're you so stupid? You're supposed to be strong! What are you doing?

"What are you doing?" Out of the blue, a familiar voice called out.

Kai's mother was in a flurry. She completely floundered at the sight of her dear son demanding to know what on this green earth she was doing. I hankered to turn around and run straight into his arms, but I was in a tough fix. And I was definitely in dire straits.

I felt his footsteps treading on the perfectly-polished marble floor, before he stopped in front of me. My teeth were still chattering and my jaw was quivering. Pulling me into his arms, he kissed me.

He kissed me as if he was never going to stop.

And at that moment, I surrendered into that kiss with him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

KAI

Holding Rachel's waist protectively, I spun around to officially present her as my girlfriend to my mother. Her eyebrows were furrowed in disapproval but I just smiled without a care in the world.

"Rachel, go out first. I'll join you later." I remarked, clucking my tongue, still trying to present my best smile ever.

She averted her gaze from my mother to me. With one last lingering look in my direction, she bade me goodbye before promenading out of the room.

"I can't believe you are so despicable!" I slammed the table with my fist, lunging myself at my unscrupulous mother. Purple with rage, I pushed all the documents off the desk and kicked several files in the direction of the door.

Her secretary whimpered pitifully. She must have spent a lot of time piling those documents. Well, it isn't my fault to begin with. Instead, she should glare at the woman seated behind her desk, crossing her arms in her own fashion. I stared daggers into my mother, wishing with all my heart that she was not the graceful lady I had to call "Omonim". What is it with her? Did my relationship with Rachel have to perturb her like this?

I shut my eyes in frustration. How wonderful it would be if this world just closed down on me. As long as I have Rachel by my side, it didn't matter if this world ended... Just... Don't let Rachel leave me. She can't leave me. This sounds repellently cliché, but I have recognized that the purpose of my existence has come to be centered around one girl.

I could see her her eyes shimmering not with eyeshadow, but with tears as she held them back and tried to pull back a sorrowful smile.

Rachel. Rachel Rachel.

"Two words. Leave her. Yes or no."

I opened my mouth, about to affirm her with my decision.

"Do bear in mind that your car license will be revoked, and you will not be able to handle the company. Even if it means selling it away, I wouldn't allow the company to go into your hands." she interrupted, flashing a sarcastic smile. She was confident I would change my decision as a result of this harsh punishment. She knew I would bemoan my decision and try to change things for her definition of the better. She knew it.

She was going to be so disappointed. I flashed an equally brusque grin.

"Never." I smirked, before striding out of the room. I heard her disgruntled groan, and I found myself rather delighted.

"Kai?" Rachel looked at me with questioning eyes. I then realized I had this exceptionally goofy grin on my face.

"Let's go," I entwined my fingers with hers and I walked off jauntily. "This house holds too pathetic memories," I whispered in her ear comfortingly.

As we neared her house, she implored me to unburden myself with what had happened in the study. I smiled sweetly and shook my head, occasionally placing my finger at my lips mysteriously.

"Oppa..." she pined, smothering me with her aegyo. "Malhaebwa." she widened her eyes and pouted adorably at me. Aish. This was too much for me to handle.

"Aish... Keurae!" We were at the threshold of her flat. I cupped her hands in mine and gazed into her eyes, causing her to blush ravishingly. "She told me that if I didn't leave you, she will make sure the company doesn't go into my hands. Even if it means selling it away..."

"Ah... Jinjja yo?" she turned away from me with a sigh. I instantly regretted succumbing to her aegyo and telling her the truth.

"Jinjjaeyo." I commented as if it could allay her fears and worries. "Wae?" I smiled.

"Oppa..." She bit her lip hesitantly. "Then do what she says."

What?! "Michyeoseo?!" I shook my head vigorously and cupped her face in my hands, letting myself wonder at the charm of her eyes. "I will never leave you."

I stared into space, contemplating on my next move. From now on, I've lost my place in my family, but as long as Rachel's right next to me, I guess I can't ask for more. I sneaked a peek at my girl. She had her back turned to me, but I guessed she hadn't slept yet.

"Kai..." She murmured. I broke into an irrepressible smile.

"Neh, Jagiya?" I could feel her nose wrinkle as she flinched at the outright display of affection.

She rolled towards me, hitting my leg, unquestionably but jokingly peeved.

As she sat up, I sidled up to her childishly and enclosed her in a warm hug. She smiled and hugged me back. We sat there, in each others' arms for a long time, craving for that moment of peace that we never seemed to attain ever since we fell in love.

"Want me to sing a song?" I broke the silence reluctantly. But I wanted her to sleep. It had been a long day for me, let alone her, and I did not wish for her mind to wander to an unknown planet where I wasn't around.

"Nah. I'll survive sleeping." She laughed, tinkling high-pitched notes at me. Suddenly she turned solemn. "But you, Kai... Sleep."

I smiled as I evoked the memory of how "Kai" came about. It was the nickname she had created for me, as she claimed she had difficulty calling me "Jongin". But I secretly knew why she called me "Kai". Kai was a handsome young lad in an anime, one that she had always kept in touch on since she was young. Kai was the man of her dreams.

"I will. You sleep first." I ascertained her.

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, but she shut her eyes. "Arasseo."

I kissed her tenderly on the forehead, smoothing the creases of worry tainting her pulchritude.

"Sweet dreams."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven 

RACHEL

"I'm gonna bring you somewhere today," Kai pulled back an alluring smile as he held my hand in his. Pulling me towards him, he caressed my mahogany-auburn hair and I felt myself unknowingly taking in his luscious scent.

"Where?" I looked up towards him, before witnessing a most beauteous scene. As early daylight shone in our direction, Kai appeared to be shimmering in the light. His smile was stirring my heart and I felt the sides of my face turning scarlet at the sight of my guardian angel shining down on me. I hope he doesn't see it...

"You'll know soon." He tugged my arm playfully. "C'mon," he smiled bewitching once again, before leading me down towards his car.

I heard an "oh" escape stealthily from Kai's lips, and I was immediately alerted to the fact that his car was nowhere to be found. Kai began spewing profanities under his breath. It was then that I gleaned what had happened. Kai's mother had dispatched her people to tow Kai's car away. I puffed. Kai bit his lip.

"Ahh... Kai?" I glimpsed at him through anxious eyes.

"Neh?" His lips broke into a heartfelt smile.

"I... I feel like taking the... The train..." I lied through my teeth, beaming at him as I squinted to look into his eyes. The light he shone on me was breathtaking.

"You're a terrible liar." He held my shoulders and pulled me to him. "Keurae. Nothing can come between us, anyway..."

I sank my head onto Kai's shoulders and his head leaned onto mine too. We rested in that position for a long time, and during that point in time, many thoughts swarmed in my head. If we continue rebelling against his mother, his mother will continue ruining our lives, making us miserable. I don't care if she reduces me to nothing at all; I had begun with nothing anyway, but it would just about kill me if she hurt Kai. It's not an issue if she pauperizes me, I'm not the least rich, but Kai... He had been born with a silver spoon. How would he be able to cope with all this stress?

Eottoke? Eottoke? EOTTOKE?!

"Eottoke?" I ruminated aloud. Realization hit me as many glares of surrounding commuters inundated me, and I stuck out my tongue in apology.

"Wae?" Kai sniggered.

I elbowed him in the ribs. "YAH!" he screamed in agony and I flashed an artificial smile.

"I can't believe that the girl who just elbowed me is the same girl who did her aegyo in my face last night," he chuckled, pulling me down back into his arms.

"Kai!" I harshly whispered. "There're people on the train. We're not alone!" my face flushed beetroot.

"Like I care," he smiled, pulling me deeper into his arms.

I soon unearthed the mystery of our land of destination. We were headed towards the amusement park. We had a whale of a time there, as we scooted over to roller-coasters and glided towards ice-cream parlors. I found myself enchanted by his smile whether they were directed to me or not, and as the hours flew by, although this sounds terribly hackneyed, we grew more and more in love with each other. I was captivated by the way he smiled, laughed; the cute way he shrieked from the bottom of his lungs with me during the roller-coasters, even though I knew he wasn't the least scared; the way his hair was tousled by the frolicking wind as he gazed into the cerulean deep sky...

At the end of the day, I had come to one sequitur: Underneath that cool facade, he had hidden a smile that could outshine the sun.

It was as if I didn't already know that. It was as if this was the first time we were together.

I flipped through the channels, undeniably bored. I switched off the television and Kai lay his head down on my lap. We were back in the safe haven of my home.

Smiling fervently, I ruffled his hair as he shut his eyes and waited for me to kiss him. Leaning down, I kissed his flawless forehead and he hummed blissfully. I was about to fall asleep in that rapturous position.

He sat up. "Rachel." he turned deadpan.

"Mmm?" I fluttered my eyelashes at Kai.

"Be serious. I've something to ask you." His sober tone made a chill run down my spine and I gulped. What was he going to say? Oh dear, oh no... Kai, I'm sorry I'm not ready for anything yet, don't... My mind ran wild with anxiety.

"Will you..." I bit my lip. "Still love me even... Even if I'm reduced to nothingness?"

Oh. Phew. That was the tumult tormenting him. I thought it was... Oh well. I guess Kai would never think of anything of that sort at a time like this. I felt myself heaving a sigh of relief.

"Of course. What do you think?" I reached out for his hand and held it like a treasure in my hands. "I don't even love you because of your money, silly."

He smiled, eyes glistening. The previous look of worry instantly dissipated from his face.

"You love me because of who I am." He enunciated through slightly quivering lips.

"I love you because of who you are." I squeezed his hand.

But I felt the fingers on my other hand twiddling before crossing them behind my back.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight 

KAI

A puff of smoke emitted from my lips, carrying away my breath. The weather was rather chilly, and I was clad in my jacket. I meandered towards the park where Rachel and I had arranged to meet at. I hoped she liked red roses...

Contrary to popular belief, Rachel and I did not live together; no, I don't think I want to co-habit with her even before we were married, that would not be fair to her; a smirk played on my lips. I was living with Sehun temporarily before I could fully and properly organize myself. Living with Baekhyun would be out of the question- there was no way I would walk through his door without catching Agalia and him...

Baekhyun. Sigh. When did you become like this?!

As I deceased the proximity of the park and myself, I saw Rachel standing by a tree. Just as I was about to call out enthusiastically and at the same time in a suave manner to her, I descried a man right next to her. He struck me as someone definitely older than both Rachel and me. He looked strangely familiar...

My stomach was tossed and twisted about in gigantic motions. Jealousy was at its worst.

Out of the blue, he laid his hands on Rachel's shoulders affectionately. What?! What was he doing?!

"Get your filthy hands off my girl!" I cursed under my breath, before words of enormous threat flushed out of my mouth incoherently.

Rachel's shoulders trembled under the weight of his arms and she bent down for a cry. I had never seen her cry like this. She looked so fragile, as if a small gust of wind would blow her away. The way her delicate arms tried to pull his arms away from her caused me to long to hold her in my arms and whisper in her ears that everything was going to be alright...

And then it happened. The cursed nondescript pulled her into his arms and hugged her. He hugged her. My hands released their hold on the roses I had specially chosen and purchased and I heard the rustle of the paper crushed to the ground.

My heart literally sank when I perceived something else. This time, I almost fell to the ground and died.

She slid his arms around him and hugged him back. She hugged him back.

No words could elucidate my emotions at that moment. What was happening? My life flashed before my eyes. Shortly thereafter, I regained consciousness and trudged on towards never land. I did not wish to see her any longer. I didn't even want an explanation; because I was afraid to hear what I didn't want to hear.

"Kai?" Her familiar voice which never failed to flutter my heart just aggravated the wound that had been slashed ruthlessly into my heart.

I spun around, a blank look occupying my expression and eyes.

"Wae?" She smiled, and that smile made my heart ache. "What are you doing here?"

She was completely incognizant to what I had witnessed. Wait. What did she mean by what was I doing here? Wasn't she the one who requisitioned to meet me here? Why was she acting so sweetly innocent now?

Rachel. My heart sank to the ground and was enveloped my the dead leaves strewn on the ground awaiting the bitter winter. Was this really who you were?

She reached out to hold my hand, but this time I slapped her hand away.

"Kai... Wae?" her eyes scanned mine, in search of something that might answer her question. Her beseeching eyes bored into mine, and I felt my heart soften at her tears which had congressed at the corners of her eyes. I wasn't going to give in though. She had let me down.

"You're asking me why? I need to ask YOU why!" I bellowed, scaring Rachel out of her wits.

"What... What do you mean?" I winced as I took in her innocent expression. Rachel. How could you appear so innocent now? Is this really who you are?

"You know exactly what I mean." I cornered in on her. "Why were you hugging that guy in the middle of the park just now?"

"You mean... Junmyun Oppa?" Her language of attachment made me cringe in hopelessness. After all that happened between them she still kept in touch with Kim Junmyun?

Her eyes gained recognition. "A-Aniya, Kai... We're... We're not like that... Oppa neun..."

"I don't want to hear your explanation. I only believe my own eyes." my jaw set stubbornly and I shut my eyes in contravention. How could she still be so calm after I had disclosed her darkest secret? So she was really having an affair with that Kim Junmyun. I subjected him to all kinds of damnation my mind could cry out, reducing him to a pile of demeaning ashes in my head. Regardless, it didn't matter, he had her heart.

"Fine." Her voice hardened. My eyelids flipped open in stupefaction; was she about to admit to her affair?

"I'm tired of all this anyway. Let's go our separate ways." Her lackluster voice made me wish to cower in sorrow. She wanted a break-up?!

"BWOH?" I asked, not sure if my ears had been playing tricks on me just as my eyes may have been earlier on. I suddenly doubted the authenticity of my judgement.

"I..." She shut her eyes. "I need someone whom I can rely on. Someone who can bring me ultimate happiness and wealth. You..." She opened her eyes, and I noticed the tears. "You can't give me that anymore."

I knew it. I knew things were too good to be true. I just... No, I didn't know that things would turn out this way. I believed her. I believed that she loved me because of who I was. Not because of what I was.

"You... Mean it?" I asked one last time.

"I won't regret it." Then she tossed her hair and trampled on. I felt as if footsteps were being imprinted on my heart. My knees buckled, gave way, and I sank onto the wet, cold grass.

NARRATOR

What Kai didn't hear was Rachel's last words when she left his side.

"Mian, Kai... There will never be a 'happily ever after' for us..."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine 

RACHEL

Unequivocal sorrow overwhelmed me. I guess I was too naïve huh? How could there ever be a "happily ever after" for the both of us? We were of completely different social standing, a tie between the both of us would be impossible. Kai's parents will never be able to accept me for who I was, I had to succumb to the fact.

As I trudged towards the exit of the park, I started to survey my surroundings for the first time. A mix of chestnut, sepia and magenta leaves were strewn on the ground, and as I trod on them unthinkingly, I felt pity for them. They will never be able to have a fresh start anymore. They littered the floor in an amazing yet sad way, and as the amount of leaves scattered on the floor increased, my heart wretched with pity for the tree which leaves were shedding. Most would feel that this is just part and parcel of late autumn, and I would say so too, but... Perhaps it was my emotions engulfing me in flames that caused me to look at them with lens of pity.

I thought of how jealous Kai looked when he saw me with Junmyun Oppa, how the man green with envy had jumped to unnecessary and hasty conclusions... Which begs the question, why was he even doing there? I could swear I didn't text him to meet me here. I had lost my phone; how could I even text him anymore? In fact, this matter worried me.

I pondered on this matter solicitously. In any case, "someone must have texted him using my phone to meet me here so that he would see Oppa and me..." I ruminated aloud.

"You're smart. Too smart." An aristocratic voice wafted into my ear. I spun around, and I saw who I expected to meet. Kai's mother.

"I don't think anyone would have guessed that right. I guess you're more than just an ignorant country bumpkin, you're emotional query is just as high... That explains your grades, doesn't it?" She let out a contemptuous smile and laughed disparagingly.

"Tangshin..." I shook my head in fury. How could she-?

"Neh. It was me. I sent someone to break into your house, steal your phone, and I plotted this entire act." she laughed, lucidly proud of her actions. "Kai, this boy... He's easily jealous. I heard that this Suho is your... Ex?"

"I can't believe you..." I rubbed my forehead as a tough headache broke out across my temples. How could she...

"I can't believe Kai is so easily lured away, and I just got a free show. Hmmm... This is so gratifying."

I longed to reach out and tear that Cheshire Cat smile off her face. How could Kai have such a revolting mother? In an attempt to break us apart, she could resort to underhand means. Well, Rachel, at a time like this, you have to be strong. You can't let her tear you apart.

"I suppose you feel very proud." I commented as pride swallowed her chest.

She spun around, and her expression abruptly changed. "Why not?"

"I'm apologise for the disappointment. This will not break us apart." I smiled a satirical one at her, and walked off with a spring in my step, although my heart was burdened instead. She had won the battle though, I knew that.

My heart was... I couldn't explain how I felt at that moment. I sighed.

"Neomu apa."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

KAI

Since our break a week ago, I have moved back to reside at the Kim Estates. Omoni and Abuji welcomed me home with open arms, delighted to have me back home as their son. On the other hand, I presented sheer apathy towards them, ignoring them even as they demanded respect. How could I give respect to two people who were ruining my future?

The break brought me senseless crying at night, bloodshot eyes every morning, the inability to concentrate in school, you get my point. Rachel has been shunning me constantly, avoiding my gaze as it rested upon her auburn locks. In school, I tried with much difficulty to refrain from quivering my lips at the air consecrated by her stunning presence, promenading to the rooftop during lunch to live in oblivion. Lately, however, I have felt that she has been leaving me a styrofoam cup of warm coffee there. I cannot comprehend her reason for that particular action, but I can sense that it is her. And I know that coffee is for me.

My phone buzzed incessantly and I picked it up in pique. My mother requested for me to bring her some documents from the left-bottom drawer in the study since I was resting at home. I had given the unconvincing excuse that I was feeling unwell and could not attend school, but the truth was I was worn out after ignoring Rachel. I couldn't continue pretending that she was never the purpose of my existence, so I took a few days of leave to sit down and ponder about my next move.

I made my way to the study and I paused at my mother's drawers. Which one did she mention? Right, I remembered. It was the right-bottom drawer. I unlocked the drawer (padlocked with my birthdate, no doubt) and uncovered its contents.

My mouth lay agape at what I saw. It was Rachel's phone.

What was her phone doing here? A text message glided into my mind. She had used Agalia's phone to tell me that she had lost her phone.

I checked the sent box in her message box.

"I'll see you at the park, the one near my house tomorrow morning. I have something to show you." I should have known. The way this message was worded most certainly did not sound like Rachel. What had I been thinking?

Fishing out my phone, I compared the dates the messages were sent.

"Kai, I lost my phone! I can't contact you, so I'll use Agalia's phone if I need to contact you. Love, Rachel;))" - 2/2

"I'll see you at the park, the one near my house tomorrow morning. I have something to show you." - 3/2

My heart sank. I had misunderstood her! She desperately wanted me to believe her, but I had not placed my complete trust in her. My fist tightened as I wallowed in guilt.

In ultimate wrath, I dialed that woman's number to demand an answer from her.

"Jongin-ah?"

"I found Rachel's phone. I can't believe you had the gall to do such a thing."

There was a long pause on the other side of the line. "Keurae, I did that. Jongin-ah, Omma really loves you. This is for your future-"

"Shut up. You don't deserve to call me by my name." I spat.

"Everything you do just makes me hate you more and more." I hung up the phone, scrambling out of my house and into the car. The engine roared to life and the scientifically-advanced GPS demanded my destination.

"My girl's house." I turned the steering wheel and the magnificent main gates of the Estates unfastened and allowed me to roll out onto the familiar route.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

RACHEL

I shut the curtains in the living room. Letting myself fall on the couch, I sighed. When was the last time I had been in contact with Kai? I missed him so badly. My gaze rested on the soft cushion on the couch and I educed how we used to lie on this very couch as he sang me a love song so gently. How simple things were at that time, I wondered to myself. Lost in the world where only the two of us existed, I used to marvel at how blissful we were. I used to think we will never break. I snorted to myself. I was wrong.

No, Rachel, there will never be a "happily ever after" for you. You, who was born at the wrong place in a wrong time... You, whose parentage was not as glorious... Not that I minded it that much. My parents would always be mine, it didn't matter our wealth and lowly status.

I just wish...

I just wish we could go back to the good days, where life was simple. Appa, Omma, Oppa... Where are you? Why did you leave me? My parents and brother had left my side since I was young, that was what I had been told; Agalia's parents had enough heart to put me up until I grew older and could live by myself. Agalia and I were neighbors since young, and we had been the best friends since the tender age of five. I always thought myself charmed to be able to be bosom buddies with her. When I grew older, I had got a job at a cafeteria and earned enough money to buy a house with Agalia when we decided to move to Seoul.

As I reminisced about my pathetic life, I thought I heard a sweet melody being hummed. Perplexed, I raced towards my window and pushed open the curtains. There he was, in a black glossy jacket with silver chains hanging from the pockets and a pair of skin-tight jeans that flaunted his figure, with his hair all disheveled, but perfect. At the very least, perfect for me. He was standing at the bottom of my flat. As usual, he was the blossomed flower amongst all the slum and trash, unlocking its petals towards me.

My heart melted instantly and everything that I had said vanished completely from my memory. I just wanted him up here.

"Annyeong!" I beamed.

"Annyeong," He smiled earnestly, making my heart pound but my world shining. His smile provided ample respite after our violently mournful break. Seeing him smile again made the warm winter sun shine even more brightly on me as my heart was ablaze.

We posed at that position for a long time, just gazing passionately into each others' eyes.

"Serenade me," I leaned across the paint-peeling railing and pouted. An irrepressible smile appeared on his lips. My heart leapt. He couldn't resist my charm.

"Alright, what do you want me to sing?" it was as if what happened last week had been erased from our memories en masse.

This scene was something of Romeo and Juliet. I used to dream of the balcony scene.

"Mmm... Come up and sing to me," I skipped from the window without waiting for his answer towards the door.

Kai was up in a flash, and he tugged me gently into his arms, stroking my hair. His hands traveled slowly towards my neck, prolonging his touch on my waist. When his rough yet gentle hands felt my neck, his second finger prodded and lifted my chin up to look at him. Smiling in an amatory manner, he bent down tenderly and we locked lips.

"You know, I've always wanted you to call me 'Oppa'..." He hinted, nudging me as his head rested on my shoulder. We were resting on a couch (again!) and I wanted him to sing me a song (again!). Palpably, he was trying to divert the topic.

"We're the same age! I can't call you Oppa..." I pouted.

"Don't do that to me!" He pinched my cheeks. "It doesn't work."

"Of course it does." I snuggled up to his shoulder, changing our original position. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing his lips on my cheek. Suddenly he started counting.

"...I'm a month and eleven days older than you!" He smirked. "Call me Oppa."

"Eung..." I stood up. "We're born in the same year... Oppa." I finally said it. The 'o' word. It was floating in the air, mocking my inept attempt to refrain from calling him Oppa. I was kind of wishing I could reach up and snatch it back to throw it back into my mouth...

His mouth lay agape. A silly smile adorned his face. "Say it again."

"Oppa."

"Say it again."

"Oppa."

"Say it again."

"Oppa."

"Say it again."

"Oppa..." I pouted.

"Ah keurae," He pulled me back into his arms and I rested my head on his shoulder. His soft lips traced my neck gently and I giggled. I planted myself back on the couch next to him and sidled up to his shoulder. We sat in that position for a while, before he broke the silence.

"I'm sorry," He practically mouthed.

I shook my head. "Gwen... Chana."

He slipped his arm around my shoulder. "I just... I'm sorry. I should have trusted you. I was too..." He sighed. "I know the truth now." He obtained something small out of his pocket. It was my phone, in perfect condition. "Here," he muttered.

I took it from his hands and embraced him.

"Mian..." he whispered into my ear.

I sank into his shoulders and sobbed uncontrollably. It was then that I realized how much I missed him. Just a week of not seeing him could make me want to cry so badly.

That night, I slept in his arms again. The warmth of his body provided adequate respite from the cold of the bed when he wasn't around. As I shut my eyes, I heard him singing to me again.

Although my eyes were shut, I was listening to his soft, romantic voice crooning out a lullaby for me.

"Neol saranghage dwaebeorin nan ije deo isang..." He breathed.

"Doragal goshi eobseoyo nalgaereul geodwogasyeotjyo, oh no..."

"Yeongwonhan sarmeul irheotdaedo haengbokhan iyu..."

"Naui yeongwon ijen geudaeinikka eternally love..."

As I registered the lyrics in my mind, I smiled and fell deeply asleep.

Translation:

I, who has fallen in love with no other place to

Go back, my wings have been talen away (oh no)

Even though I lost my everlasting life, the reason to my happiness

You are my eternity, eternally Love


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve 

KAI

We browsed through the channels on the television. Rachel and I had made up, to my greatest delight. If I didn't have her by my side, the significance would cease to exist in my life.

I stole a glance at Rachel. How tranquil she seemed, as if things had really turned for the better. No, I'm sure both of us understood the fact that our happiness would soon be short-lived. Hence, we needed to spend as much time together so we wouldn't miss out much on each other...

Kim Jongin. Don't let your mind wander that far. A sudden thought flitted through my mind.

"Rachel." I pronounced. "I realized I never really called you by your real name, just like you never did for me."

Rachel's gaze averted from mine as that brilliant smile instantly dissipated from her face. I immediately felt an anguish and regretted my statement. I loathed not being able to see the gorgeous smile on her face... I loathed myself when she was doleful.

She smiled, trying to allay my worries. "Jongin... Oppa?"

Despite my dispiritedness earlier, my heart burst into conflagrant flames when the way she called my name slipped into my ears. There was a certain level of affection, as well as a certain level of uncertainty.

I didn't dare to call her by her real name though. Ever since we officially met in university, she had insisted everyone called her by her Christian name. I always couldn't apprehend why she hated her real name that much. It was a pretty name, just not what she was accustomed to, I guess.

But lately I have been conceived with this perception after I spoke with Agalia's parents - she detests her real name because it had the first syllable completely similar with her older brother, Park Chanyeol. Her parents and brother had been murdered by a man of wealth who had hired an assassin, that was what she told me, not what i knew of actually, tpbut that was another matter. Although she had not witnessed their murder due to the fact that she had been swiftly taken away by Agalia's parents as requested by her birth parents, she did not doubt the fact that they had been murdered. Her birth name had brought her tribulation for a few years, according to Agalia, before Agalia had suggested that she asked others to call her by her Christian name.

She tossed her hair back in charisma, turning to look at me. "Oppa, are you going to say my real name too?"

"Chan... Chanyu?" I literally whispered. Sensing her discomfort, I shook my head, "Rachel's easier."

She snuggled up to me like an innocent child, blissfully incognizant of how many heartbeats she could give me in a minute by that trivial action.

"You're the best, Oppa."

I literally wallowed in guilt at arousing her discomposure that I asserted that I would bring her out that ice-skating that night. I knew how she had a total emotional attachment to ice-skating. Whilst our walk towards the nearby rink, I marveled at how the back of our hands would graze each others' while we were strolling to the rink. The enthusiastic spirit in me cavorted and frolicked every single time our hands brushed against each others'.

Finally, I could not curb my urge. I reached out for her hand, holding it as I slid our hands into my pocket.

"It's cold," I muttered to myself, before I gazed back into her ravishing eyes. "I don't want my girl catching a cold."

As I was looking back at her, I caught her eyes. Beneath the smile, there were tears heaping at the corners of her eyes. Sensing my worry, she gently brushed away the tears.

I speculated the cause for the tears while pressing my lips on her smooth cheek as tenderly as I could.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

RACHEL

His fingers entwined in mine, I felt as if our hands were purely made for each others'. The sizes of our hands fit perfectly. I didn't know that Kai would take the initiative to hold my hand, but I guess if he didn't, I wouldn't either, so... I shrugged my shoulders, smiling goofily.

"Wae?" He asked, an enchanting smile pulling the corners of his lips.

We soon reached the ice-skating rink. Removing my shoes for me, he gingerly fit the ice-skating shoes on my feet before starting on his. Fitting my hands into his, we glided across the ice rink.

I smirked. He believed that I hadn't learned how to ice-skate. Contrary to his belief, I had been taught by Agalia's father when I was young, my own couldn't because he... Tears accumulated in my eyes. Aniya, Rachel... Don't think about it... Despite my knowledge, I felt an obligation to continue letting him guide me in the rink.

"aish... Rachel ah, Jinjja..." he sighed as I pretended to trip on purpose.

"Ahh... Oppa..." I cocked my head to one side and smiled.

We skated for a while, before he decided to get us both drinks. In his absence, I had a whale of a time skating in freedom around the ice rink. Garnering occasional looks of admiration, I silently thanked my father for imparting this knowledge on me. The cool wintry breeze caressed my face as I licked my lips voraciously. As I skated my way around the ice rink, I felt my feet dancing a fantastical routine of its own, I succumbed to the skater in me and pranced with a spring in each step.

I felt a sturdy hand on my waist as I was spun around. I almost lost my balance as I struggled to identify the cause of this. It was, expectedly, Kai.

"I didn't know you knew how to skate." He breathed, making me smile.

"You never asked." I raised an eyebrow puckishly.

Soon after, we were dancing. In skates. It felt really strange to be doing the tango in skates, but with his hand clasping my waist cautiously, I felt I could relax in his arms. The onslaught of this assembled a group of people who stood still and watched us, and our performance culminated in a resounding applause.

He bowed in a gentleman fashion, and I curtsied alongside with him. Chortling in pride, Kai grasped my hand tightly and we skated off.

His expression changing, he narrowed his eyes, bit his lip, and stared at my legs in discernible displeasure.

"Wae?" I looked down onto my legs. Dd they look fat or something? Then I sniggered to myself. They appeared fat everyday.

"Your skirt is too short! It's so... It's so cold out here!" He grumbled.

Kai, that's why I wear stockings, silly. But I didn't argue. "Arasseo, Oppa, I'll wear jeans the next time, keurae?"

His lips crinkled into a smile. "That's my girl," he pulled me into a stifling hug.

"You were dazzling," he whispered into my ear while smothering me with kisses.

I beamed. "You too, Oppa."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

KAI

"The knife the little mermaid held shook.

In the next moment, she threw the knife into the waves.

The waves lit up as the knife hit. The sun was rising above the ocean.

The little mermaid looked at the prince through fading eyes and threw herself into the ocean.

And, becoming sea foam, the little mermaid disappeared."

My eyes paused at the last word. Disappeared. How grievous and woe-be-gone that word sounded to me. It hurt me by the fact that those words were written by Rachel herself. Did she really think this was reality?

I had been flipping through the books she read when she was young, when I spotted this book "The Little Mermaid". It seemed as if it had been touched recently and when I picked it up and leafed through the pages, I descried her penmanship as she cancelled the words of the last few pages and replaced them with her very own handwriting.

Originally, this story had what one would call a happy ending. The little mermaid was supposedly reunited with her lover who was coincidentally the prince of the nearby country. She was supposed to be with him. But... But Rachel changed the finale of the story. She completely turned it around and made the little mermaid die...

I shook my head silently to myself. I didn't want this to be the resolution of the story. The prince was supposed to have her, to love and to hold, forever, till death did them part. But even such a potent hand like death would not be sufficient to do them part; they would love forever. They would not be compelled to separate under any circumstances, at all. I... I wouldn't allow it.

But what was I? What was I compared to fate? If destiny decreed that they would not have a "happily ever after", in what way, in what position was I in to defy the divine decree?

A question haunted me though. How could the prince allow himself to see the little mermaid die in front of his eyes? Aigoo... Babo yah, Kai? The little mermaid passed when he was asleep. His eyes were closed. He couldn't witness her passing; he was in no place to hinder her destruction...

"Oppa?" Rachel paused at the threshold of the study area, before striding in. Her hair was still wet from the shower, and as her hair was not completely dry, her hair appeared to be glittering and she looked so surreal. As if... If I reached out to touch her, she would become all foam and bubbles...

She planted a kiss on my lips swiftly before resting on the couch right next to me. I pulled her in and took in her sweet shampoo scent as well as the amazing smell her body soap had effected on her. She smelt even better than when we were just dating.

"Wae?" She took one look at what I was reading and frowned. The expression on her face completely changed. Taking the book from me, she shut it and pushed it back in its original position.

"Rachel..." I called out to her in worry. She pulled back a radiant smile and looked at me, but I could feel the anguish behind that smile. It was an artificial smile, on her face for the purpose of reassuring me.

"Why did you change the ending of the story?"

"Oppa, isn't that the original ending of the story?" She smiled.

"Neh, hajima..." I shook my head. How was I supposed to say this? "Wouldn't the alternative be more pleasant?"

"Life is _supposed_ to be pleasant?" She asked, stressing on the word "supposed", but still smiling. Though I could see her lips were quivering.

"Of course." I smiled and nodded.

She looked down at the floor and an awkward silence overwhelmed us.

"Let's sleep," she lulled me from the couch and pulled me to the room.

She lay her head on my shoulder, sighing deeply while trying to falling asleep. My mind was swarmed with thoughts she could be mulling over. I had control of the situation, yes, I did.

Kai... I snorted silently to myself. You don't even have complete control over this terrible situation. You are the cause of Rachel's uncertainty for the future, of her unsettling heart. Your actions increases her ambivalence day by day...

Keurae, even if I didn't have the rule over this quandary, I had to ensure that in her heart, in her mind, she felt I did.

"Rachel?" I leaned out and called out, a little too loud, to the extent of vociferating. Instantly, I felt a pang of contrition at calling so loudly, and settled back into my seat.

"Neh, Oppa?" She acted out her gorgeous eye-smile in my direction.

"I won't allow the little mermaid to become sea foam and disappear. I promise you." I vowed out loud and resolved in my heart.

Her expression changed to one of melancholy and she shut her eyes, ignoring my statement. My heart sank. She knew that I was not in control of our predicament...

Arousing from sleep halfway, I tried to identify the source of my awakening. Rachel was crying her eyes out in her dream. "Ani, Oppa... Jebal... Kajima..."

I roused Rachel from her sleep. "Gwenchana, Jagiya... I'm here..."

"Oppa!" She frantically wrapped her arms around me, weeping bitterly as I felt my shoulder getting wet. Oh, what did it matter... My little mermaid was heartbroken now... Seeing her in her time of desperation and affliction made me feel as if a knife had been pierced through my heart and the thorns of roses pricked me as if they pined for my agony.

"I dreamt..." she choked, and I patted her back comfortingly. "Take your time..."

"I... I saw you..." She choked out those words through the tears. That lump in her throat must be inflicting pain upon her, such that she was unable to even produce those simple words with ease. I cursed that lump in her throat silently.

"You... You got married with Cheklin ssi... I saw that... Oppa, it's true, it's true..." she insisted while tears squeezed the breath out of her.

"Nothing of that is true, silly... Can't you see I'm right next to you?" I kissed her forehead gently.

"Ani, ani... Oppa, my dreams... They're always true..." she sniffed. "At least the nightmares are..."

"Oppa, you're not mine... You're Cheklin ssi's... You're not mine... You're Cheklin ssi's... Jinjjaeyo... Jinjjaeyo..." she persisted through all those words even though I knew each word was like placing her heart against the thorn, and the edges of her heart were slowly ebbing away...

I spent the rest of the night trying to alleviate her fears, trying my best to bring her back to her usual composure. As she fell asleep, there was a fat droplet of tear that rolled rebelliously down her cheek, betraying her emotions. I rubbed away the tear from her face with the tip of my finger, taking the opportunity to caress her beautiful face.

"Baby don't cry, tonight..." I randomly broke out in chorus.

"eodumi geodhigo namyeon

Baby don't cry, tonight

eobseotdeon il i dwell geoya

moolgeo poom i dueneun geoseun niga aniya,

ggeutnae molla ya hae deon

So baby don't cry, cry

nae sarangi neol jikilteni..."

I leaned down and kissed her forehead while another recalcitrant tear spilled out of her eye.

"moolgeo-poom-i dueneun geoseun niga aniya, ggeutnae molla ya hae deon..."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

RACHEL

Agalia has been sick these days. I have no idea what is going on with that girl. She's always burdened with apprehension and distress these days, that when the teacher asks her a question, she can only stammer, "Seonsaengnim..." she was never like that. I can only guess that she has been laden with vexation because of the stress that is coupled with our finals. We will be graduating soon; it's only logical that she is afflicted with disquietude...

My phone rang at this mind junction of mine. "Neh, yobosaeyo?"

"The estates. Now. I need to speak to you about something."

I cringed at the dreaded voice. Kai's mother.

As I trod on the polished marble floors, cold sweat literally drenched me. What was she going to speak to me about? Definitely... Definitely asking me to break up with Kai... What should I do? What can I do?

I knocked on the door and entered without permission. It didn't matter, I had given her a terrible impression from the start, and I had absolutely no intention in changing who I was for her. Especially not for her.

"I reckon you know the reason you are ordered here?" She spun around in her chair, a mordant smile plastered on her face. Taking just one look at the bewitchingly beautiful woman in front of me, I flinched. How many men had been taken in by that face... I had heard from Kai that she was originally from the lower class society like me, and that she had used that pretty face of hers to ascend in the classes. But... Isn't it because of this that she would empathize with me? Falling in love with someone from another class was tormenting... Of course, of course, how could I forget. It was because she thought she could fathom my feelings... She thought I was like her, I didn't love Kai, just like the way she didn't love his father, only his riches...

I opened my mouth, but she stuck up one hand to put my yet-to-start speech to a halt.

"Your friend Agalia..." she commented. Wait. What was this about Agalia? Maybe she knew what was happening on Agalia's side...

"She's not been acting right, isn't that it?" I nodded slowly, my mind brimming with doubt and uncertainty. What has been going on?

"That's because I told her that if you and Jongin did not break up, she wouldn't graduate."

Bwoh?! Out of the blue, everything started to fall into place. Agalia's vigorous shaking of head when I realized she wasn't quite herself... Agalia's hand quaking every time Seonsaengnim discussed with us about our aspirations for the future... Agalia not paying attention in class, but her legs shaking zealously... Agalia's quivering of lips and tears filling her eyes when I talked about our ambitions...

Gosh. This silly girl. Kim Kamin, babo yah? Wae? She kept this all from me because she was worried I would break up with Kai?! This concerned her future! Agalia, Sehun and I were on a scholarship, that was how we managed Sungkyunkwan University... Now Kai's unreasonable mother was threatening to terminate the scholarship with her wealth and prestige...

Agalia's dream was to be a doctor. How could she even try to achieve that if she didn't graduate? It was impossible. And she wanted to sacrifice because of us?! It was unbelievable. Tears leaked out of my eyes. Agalia...

"And Sehun." Sehun ssi? Ani, aniya... Sehun, Agalia and I were the best of friends... Sehun has to graduate. All his family's hopes are pinned on him... He carries the burden of all the aspirations not fulfilled...

"Only Cheklin wouldn't stop caring about Sehun and exhorting money from her father to ensure Sehun's scholarship is not terminated..." I secretly rooted for Sehun and Cheklin. Given Cheklin's family wealth, Sehun will be able to graduate... Neh, Sehun will... Sehun will... I can't let him... But Agalia too...

"Can't you see how much you're affecting your best friends?" She tutted, her tone dripping with sarcasm. That loathed question reverberated in my head, pervading the serenity of my originally tranquil mind. Can't you see how much you're affecting your best friends? Can't you see how much you're affecting your best friends? How would they feel if you continued holding so tightly on to your relationship, putting their studies at risk? Park Chanyu. I chided myself with my hated birth name. You're so selfish. Everyone praises you to the sky for being selfless about everything, but in actual fact? You're nothing but a selfish brat. You have to stop this. End this, Rachel, end this.

"Keurae, Mrs Kim, I will do what you say. Just. Don't. Hurt. Any. Of. My friends." I surrendered and stalked off.

"I'm glad you made the right choice."

I spun around, a perplexed expression crossing my face. "Right? Dear me, no. I have not made the right choice. I let the person I love the most down. I failed to protect him from-" I paused. "certain villains."

Then I turned and trudged off, tears falling like rain.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen 

KAI

I rang the doorbell and waited patiently for Rachel. She had mentioned that she had a compulsion to speak with me about something crucial. My head cocked to a side as I imagined what she was about to tell me. The roses in my arm were as fragrant as her and I waited with bated breath for her reaction.

"Oppa?" She unlocked the gates and invited me in.

We sauntered into her room before stopping in our tracks. Her luggage was opened and her clothes looked like they had been ransacked. All of her clothes were strewn haphazardly all over her bed, as if... I shuddered. As if she was planning to go somewhere.

"I'm moving." she muttered under her breath, just loud enough to let me hear.

Why didn't she tell me? I could have helped her... I guess it was a hasty decision... But I was not prepared for what she was about to say next.

"Let's... Let's break up."

The bouquet of crimson red roses plummeted to the ground.

Bwoh? What was she-? She was pulling my leg, right? Why would she... All of a sudden... She bent down, not returning my gaze, packing her things swiftly, piling all the clothes into the luggage. Without a second word, she fastidiously finished packing and trod out of the room.

At the threshold of her room, I held her hand, signaling her to stop in her tracks.

"Wae." My question resounded as a statement instead.

"Naega..." She sighed, turning around to look at me. "I'm tired of all this. Tired. Jinjjaeyo. Of... Of you." her gaze was reproachful although she tried to place a poker face.

I snorted. She was kidding, she was, she was. Yes, she was, Kim Jongin. My heart apprised otherwise. She was not lying to me, I guessed. She was telling the truth. She was exhausted because of our relationship. I could apprehend her feelings, the fatigue attacking her from the inside, gradually cutting the layers, prying out of her body, making a torturing hole in its tracks.

Sensing I wasn't about to say anything, she laughed, "You'll still be seeing me in school, don't worry. Remember to say hi if we meet along the hallways, got it?"

Without hesitating, she shuffled towards the door.

I walked towards her in big strides and pulled her into my arms in a back hug. "Let go," she croaked.

I leaned on her back and murmured, "Ani, I will never let go. I promised. I will never let go of you." Tears rained out of my eyes and onto her shirt.

"Kim Jongin." The way she called my full birth name made countless arrows aim for my heart and actually hitting it. Blood was gushing out of my heart so badly, that I felt that it was a necessity to hold on to her, while her back was pressed onto my chest, to stem the unrestrained blood flow. Only she could heal my heart, and coincidentally she was the only one who could smash it into smithereens.

"What can you give me?" she croaked feebly. "Once we are together, there would be no turning back. You... You can't give me happiness. We will forever be living in poverty... I.. I don't want to continue this way..."

I shook my head. "you're not like that, Rachel, stop acting this way..."

"I am like that. Only I have been hiding from you. You can't give me anything, Kim Jongin." kick. Smash. Hit. "You are like an empty shell. I can't get anything out of you."

"So let go of me, Kai..." She pleaded. I cried to her back. "Don't leave yourself with no more pride. I don't want to see you this way!" she beseeched through the tears.

"Ani, aniya..." I besieged one last time.

She pried my arms open around her. Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she pulled the luggage. Aniya, aniya... I reached out and enclosed her wrist in a vice-like grip.

"It's hurting, Oppa. It's hurting." She pried my fingers away and pushed my arm away from her. I stumbled backwards, almost falling to my knees in the attempt to gain my balance.

Before leaving, she turned back one last time, glancing at me through eyes laden with tears, and recited her narration:

"The knife the little mermaid held shook.

In the next moment, she threw the knife into the waves.

The waves lit up as the knife hit. The sun was rising above the ocean.

The little mermaid looked at the prince through fading eyes and threw herself into the ocean.

And, becoming sea foam, the little mermaid..."

She paused, taking in a deep, long breath.

"Disappeared."

Averting her gaze, she stalked out of the house, shutting the door behind her


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen 

RACHEL

I have been trying to avoid all of Kai's calls, but I can't seem to steer clear of him. Every single message that he sends me to request for a make-up, I drive myself to reply him with these words: "People from different worlds don't belong together."

"Rachel, don't do this to me..." A text came in, coupled with a blade of the knife with sunk deep into my heart and cut it open with its murderous hook. "I know you're not that girl, you're different..."

Feeling as if I couldn't continue with this anymore, I dialled those eleven digits I hadn't pressed for a week.

"Rachel?" Kai's voice of despair broke me.

"Kai, don't talk to me anymore. Please. Don't." I put on a pretense form of repulsion, but every word that was coming out of my mouth hurt me even more than it hurt him.

"Rachel..."

"Jongin ssi, stop trying to make me feel guilty. You'll only make me hate you." A lump blocked my windpipe, and I couldn't breathe. You know that feeling? When the one in front of you is the one you love, yet... Yet you cannot tell him that you do... Just like starlight hidden behind frozen clouds, this painful confession will forever stay on the tip of my tongue, but will never leave my lips.

"I... I don't want you to ignore me." His words sent my mind re-enacting the scenes in school. How I had asked him to greet me at the walkways, but yet pretend to take no notice of him, how many times he had tried to communicate through our own personal eye-contact language, but I had not even try to return his gaze...

Didn't he understand? For me, it hurt even more than it did for him! I was beset with the pain and torture of witnessing his desperation, and I still had to pretend as if it didn't hurt me, as if I disregarded him and will only remember him as my ex...

"I can't ignore you. Don't you see? You're like this aggravating cloud wandering the walkways, with no destination, no focus... I hate to see you this way." I blurted out. Hastily, I added, "I don't want to see someone whom I have loved before being hurt."

"Loved? You don't love me anymore?" His words sent needles perforating my heart, and my chest was inflicted with laceration. I shut my mouth, refraining myself from letting another word escape those cursed lips.

"Malhaebwa. Other than the heir to the Company as well as the Kim Family's only child, have you ever looked me in the eye and treated me as a man?"

"Ani," I paused, the pain tingling in my heart. It was getting strenuous to do something as easy as breathe. The heartache swiftly evolved into a heartbreak as I tried my best to utter the next few words, although the sobs asphyxiated me. "I have never treated you as a man, and I never will. You are Kim Jongin - You will forever be the rich Kim Jongin... Nothing and no one can change that fact."

Unable to curb my emotions, I quickly hung up the phone. Tears spilled out of my eyes and I hastily rubbed them away, though I was already sobbing uncontrollably.

"Rachel?" Junmyun Oppa stood at the doorway of my room. I has been staying with Junmyun Oppa so Kai wouldn't be able to find me. I couldn't move school though; I had vowed to do well, and I wasn't allowing this to affect me... Junmyun Oppa was a great friend to me... But he was just a friend. An older brother whom i respected with all my heart. Always have, always will...

Technically, Junmyun Oppa was my ex-boyfriend. We had broken up because of an absolutely inane particular reason. He was really nice to me... Genuinely concerned over my welfare, even if it was because he was still in love with me...

I always wondered though. Was I too thick-hided? Or should I not have requested to move into his house? With the preconception that he still loved me, maybe it wasn't such a good idea... But Junmyun Oppa had alleged that we were the best of friends...

He placed a batch of cookies and some tea on the table next to my bed. Leaning down and sitting right next to me, he pushed my head onto his shoulder.

"Oppa, aniya..." I pushed him away, my eyes red and puffy because of the tears. The tears had altered me in entirety, and as I pushed Junmyun Oppa away, I privately wished that Kai was there for me. I hankered for his arm to be thrusted around my shoulder, and for him to pull me in so charismatically, that I would be hypnotic under his alluring smile... It felt as if there was something stuck in both my nose and my throat which refused to budge, and I could not breathe normally, but instead I started making idiosyncratic sniffing noises.

Junmyun Oppa was in manifest hurt, and I instantaneously deplored my previous rejecting action. Without a word, he meandered out of my room, muttering, "Don't cry, Rachel. If anything happens, Oppa's here."

"Oppa, gomawo..." I averted my gaze towards him.

"If you really want to thank me, show it." His face flushed as he ambled out of the room.

I sighed and let myself fall onto the bed, acquiescing the tears to flow unceasingly. Kai... Wae? Why did this have to happen? Kai... I silently reached out for him. Didn't he understand? Ever since I fell for him, I have been wishing that he was not the aristocratic prince that he was... I wished... I wished he could be just another commoner like me... Alas, it was too much to hope for with regards to having a future with him... Oppa, I want you, I need you, yet... Yet... I can't have you.

Perhaps, I hoped without true belief, perhaps in another parallel universe, I could live out my promise of staying by his side forever... Even if it was my eternal punishment to live with him forever, I would be blessed to do so. Even if it was my retribution, I would gladly accede to his demand...

My phone buzzed, and at once I knew it was another of Kai's message which symbolized his indefatigable love. The reality of his message was sufficient evidence to prove his unfaltering love.

"I will rewrite the ending of "The Little Mermaid"; this story will not end this way; the prince will run towards the mermaid and envelope her in a tight embrace, he would never let her go from his embrace... There is no such thing as an end for them... I won't allow it." My heart was especially annihilated by the last few words even though each word sent daggers into my heart.

My vision blurring, I hastily typed, "You can change the ending of 'The Little Mermaid', but you can't bury the fact that reality is seeping into your skin, Jongin ssi. You can't change our ending."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen 

A month later...

RACHEL

"Rachel?" Agalia's smooth voice penetrated my thoughts and I looked up at her.

"We're playing together, right?" She searched my eyes for a faint sign of recognition for our immediate location. I scanned my surroundings, smiled and picked up a badminton racket from the pile of sports equipment.

"Of course. Here, let's go..." My eyes browsed through the court and was rooted on Kai. He was watching as Baekhyun slammed Sehun's shoulder squarely at the extreme left side of the court while walking towards the side of the court they had chosen. Ostensibly, Baekhyun was irritated as Sehun had chosen Cheklin as his partner for badminton. Baekhyun was in obvious displeasure as he hated playing with the Kai I had reduced him to. The expression on Kai's face was unfathomable - his eyes, I could see, were opaque, despite the wide distance that stood between us.

Gym was one of the clubs that the six of us had signed up for together, and I used to treasure this precious hour as I could be with Kai in school. But these days I have been incepted with the idea that this was one of the worst clubs I joined because of Kai...

Kai... I shoved the memory of how we used to play badminton together away and returned my gaze to Agalia, stifling my distress, to my quest for a normal life, one that would not contain Kai.

"There," I nodded to the extreme right of the court. "We'll play there."

Collecting my desires for Kai and depositing them in my bottom drawer of memories, I held the racket tightly in my hands, purportedly waiting for Agalia to serve.

Agalia shook her head. She had known about my break with Kai, and upon her incessant queries, I had revealed that it was as a result of Sehun and her that I had mustered the courage for a break with Kai. Subsequently, she had been reproachful, but I had guaranteed that regardless of the existence of her dreams and ambitions, we would have been separated anyway, it didn't matter... We were not meant to be...

Agalia lowered the shuttlecock and her racket. "Do you love him?" Agalia asked in a random fashion.

I was riveted to the ground. The question sounded ridiculous to me, like the words were scrambled. It had felt like that knowledge had been the subtext of everything I was doing. Need she ask me such a question?

My mind wandered off to some unknown planet of memories. The location was the same, surely. Then I realized. It was a memory of Kai and I playing badminton together.

_"Oppa," I crooned. "Give me a good serve." _

_He rolled up his sleeves, revealing a set of toned muscles. As he held the racket in his hand and paused to think of the best direction he should serve, I watched his biceps tense up, and I giggled cheekily. _

_He smirked, and he served lightly at first. I tipped the shuttlecock lightly over the net with ease, showing how easy his serve had been. _

_Smirking, he had a full smash hit and the shuttlecock was tossed into the air, floating high up in the air before coming crashing down on me. Panicking, I paced backwards, trying in a failed attempt to catch it. Alas, the shuttlecock hit the ground defiantly before sitting there, mocking my inept attempt to catch it. _

_"You can't do it that way," Kai smiled and walked towards me, lifting the net over his head before ambling to me. _

_Bending over me, he held my hands which held the racket. I felt his masculine arms over my arms, in full control of what we were about to do. His arms were suddenly sweaty, or was it mine? I could feel his chest rising and falling evenly against my shoulder, and my heartbeat thudded louder than before, the rhythm was abruptly staccato. _

_"Here," he placed a shuttlecock in my hand and served it with my hands. _

_"You have to get things far," he smirked. I sensed an underlining meaning in those words. _

I wrenched myself back from the memory, shoving at the visions, trying to push them farther away, to keep them from flickering through my head.

"Absolutely," I answered Agalia reluctantly. "At least, more than he does for me." There was a faint undertone of sadness in my voice as I failed to overcome it.

Agalia was about to speak, but I wasn't about to let her. I didn't want to know what she thought about my actions, I just wanted to be rooted in the perception that what I was doing was right, it was the only way I could prevent tragedies from playing in my life.

I tossed the shuttlecock in the air and served without thinking.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

KAI

I watched the trajectory of Rachel's racket with alarm. That was not how she was supposed to serve! She was going to get hurt anytime! I felt a genuine fear starting in my limbs but I couldn't move.

She tossed the shuttlecock into the air, trying to serve. But her eyes were not even on the shuttlecock. They were on the ground. I watched with horror as her racket swung out of control and hit her foot with a resounding thud. Her forehead puckered as she bent over and clutched her leg in agony.

Chivalry, the protective instinct gave me the nagging urge to carry her away. Galvanized into action, I raced toward her, only to be stopped suddenly by Baekhyun.

"Don't," he warned. My frustration flared as that word repeated in my head. Don't? Why? I glared at him, trying to stare him down, but his arm was tensing on my shoulder and I felt that if I made a single move I would be squeezed to death.

I looked back in Rachel's direction. Agalia was helping her as she hobbled to the bench. Cheklin raced forward and handed her an ice pack. Whoa, something within me stirred. Since when were they so close? Either way, they were hiding something from me.

Sehun strode towards Rachel's direction, supposedly in my absence.

"Gwenchana?" He raised his volume on purpose so I could hear their conversation.

"Gwenchana." She held back the tears and tried to smile.

"Sehun ah, carry her to the sick bay." Cheklin nodded.

Sehun lifted her on his back and sauntered in the direction of the sick bay, with Agalia and Cheklin closely at his heels. That should be me! Why should I let some other guy, much less my best friend, carry my girl? It didn't seem right, at least, at that moment, not to me.

Rachel averted her gaze towards Baekhyun and nodded, smiling. But as she looked at me, her face was suddenly colder. Her eyes flashed the same way they did when she resented someone. Others didn't process the change in her expression, but I did. Or was it because I was watching all this through the filter of my very own perceptions that it seemed like she was ignoring me even though she had clearly asked me to greet her with a smile upon meeting eyes?

"I thought she said she'll treat me normally!" I slammed my fist on my titanium locker. We were in the boys changing room, and I had just taken off my sweaty shirt when I had bellowed. "She said it herself! When we meet in the hallways, we have to greet each other. During lessons, we should talk normally when we were in a discussion. Yet she wouldn't even smile at me when she was injured as an assurance that she was fine!" I had no idea why I was raising my voice and throwing a huge temper over nothing, but I decided to allow my emotions to control me for once.

"Jongin ah..." Baekhyun's voice had an edge of discontent in it. But why was it directed at me? I ignored him.

"She's..." I scanned through my vocabulary, trying to find the right word. "Distracting me from lessons with her so-called normal behaviour!"

"You're not even angry at that." Sehun lowered his voice.

"MWOH?" I spun around. What did he mean? Of course I was angry because of that!

Sehun was on the bench leaning against his locker, consulting his watch, but I knew he was deep in thought. Standing up, he turned around to face me. He sighed as if he was trying to make known to me an obvious thing, something that made perfect sense, yet I couldn't get it. It was something about me that I gritted my teeth at his degrading assumption of the level of my intelligence. "I'm saying, you're not angry at that. It affects you, but not that much. You're angry that even at the face of adversity you weren't able to help her. You couldn't even rush to her side and carry her to the sick bay." he looked at me, and I thought his eyes were set ablaze by challenge.

"Sehun ah..." Baekhyun's voice contained a second degree of irritation. But, like me, Sehun ignored him.

"Nonsense." I chuckled nervously. "I've gotten over her already. I just can't stand being treated differently." Why was I not able to look at him and tell him that? My glare instantly shifted to him. "But I won't argue with you."

"You're just a coward." Sehun slammed those words onto my face. I clenched my fists. "I'm not surprised Rachel left you."

That did it.

"SHUT UP!" I smashed his back against the body length mirror, causing all the other guys to throw a curious glance in our direction. It was as if I could hear their thoughts. What was happening at the private locker section of the kingkas? I shoved those voices in my head away. "One more word from you about this and I'll disregard our friendship. I'm not sure what I can do to you." I threatened menacingly.

"You're just so stupid and ignorant." A furrow formed between his eyes. "Do you even understand how much she's suffering because of you? Everything you do puts her in danger!" He shoved at my shoulder, pushing me away from him.

What was he talking about? This question flashed through my mind. Sehun was just being stupid. "You will never understand anything!" Those words sounded pretty pathetic to me. Something occurred to me and it had never before; maybe I was so angry because Sehun had hit my bull's eye. Without hesitation, I scrunched the collar of his shirt, but he just glared back intimidatingly.

"Stop!" Baekhyun hollered and pulled us apart. "Don't you see it?" he reasoned. "Nothing good will come out of your fight. Shouldn't we be worrying about Rachel's injury instead of taking petty thoughts out on each other?"

Baekhyun sighed between us as we threw each other another murderous glare. I was going to get him for this. Somehow, someway.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty 

RACHEL

My eyelids flipped open with a start. I was drenched in my own perspiration. I could still hear the echo of my pounding heart, loud and insistent in the quiet air of the early morning. I sat up from my bed. What was that dream supposed to be about? What did it mean?

My parentage had always been a sensitive issue on my part, and I never seemed to doubt the story behind their death. But lately, I guess I have been probing and pondering upon the authenticity of their death, perhaps a little too much.

I had dreamt that my mother had come to me in my dream, and tearfully, she had croaked, "Chanyu ah, don't believe things so easily. Instead, seek the truth."

This was an oddity in itself. In the first place, I could not remember how my mother looked like. Occasionally, I would have glimpses of my mother, but nothing so clear. In this dream, I literally could see the faint wrinkles on my mother's face, as well as the signature mole on my mother's right cheek.

Was this a prophetic dream? Did it mean something? I hugged my knees close to me, insecurity and fear surging through my veins. If she called me by my Korean name, I guess this must be true. But...

I had been brought up by Agalia's parents, and this was what they told me when I had inquired about my parentage. To my knowledge, my parents and brother had been killed by sinister debtors even though they had returned the massive sum of money.

But... Why would they be murdered even though they had returned the money? How could they leave me conveniently with Agalia's parents? Why didn't they leave my brother too? How could they just abandon me like this? I... I...

I crept up from my bed, pacing the floorboards with care. Junmyun Oppa's room was just opposite mine, and I didn't want to rouse him.

It must take you quite by surprise, that I felt so secure living with Junmyun Oppa, with the knowledge that he still loved me and harbored hopes of a reconciliation with me. I couldn't comprehend why I could feel so safe with him, perhaps it was because I treated him like my older brother?

I ambled stealthily towards the sitting room, my heart pounding.

"Couldn't sleep?" Junmyun Oppa's voice emitted from the couch.

Phew. "Nah, I woke up."

I nestled myself on the couch next to Junmyun Oppa, careful not to be in too close proximity with him. Perhaps I didn't feel that comfortable with him...

"Rach, you're sweating," Junmyun Oppa tore a piece of Kleenex, worry intent in his eyes. He reached out, just about to help me, when he stopped in his tracks and held the thin silky piece of tissue out to me.

"Here," he smiled.

I took the piece of tissue. An awkward silence reigned.

"Bad dream?"

I shook my head. "Not exactly..."

"Dreamt about... Him?" Junmyun Oppa, I noticed, was careful to broach on the subject.

Come to think of it, it was the first night I hadn't dreamt of Kai. The way he smiled, causing every living cell in my body to tremble, my heart ricocheting against my chest; the way he smelt, faint cologne and boyish sweat, his scent still familiar and alive in my nostrils; the way he hugged me, the way he felt sidled close to me, his muscular arms forever being a sign of protection; the way he kissed me, lips intent yet soft, romantic yet rash. These were the things that were starting to bleed away from my memory, as I had willed them to. But it doesn't make them any less real. It doesn't stop them from haunting me, from entering my dreams, my thoughts, my world...

But I guess memories are made of these. Memories, scenes both large and little replaying again and again in our minds; all memories should be independent of our feelings, of our bitterness and our joy. But they aren't. They exist in either like birds in a flock, coming and going when they wish to, always existing just within reach.

Kai... A memory. My heart constricted.

"No... It was my mother."

Junmyun Oppa coughed uncomfortably. We hardly ever discussed about my parentage, because he believed it brought me too much pain, which was unnecessary for me. Junmyun Oppa was always too protective of me; in our past relationship he was always the one to make the decisions. He... He loved me too much, it was suppressing and suffocating. I guess that was why we broke up...

I looked away and frowned in thought. Should I really get to the bottom of this? But what would that imply? That the people that I trusted all my life, Agalia's parents and my best friend, Agalia, had lied to me? That they had deceived me? I didn't dare to believe that, and I would not believe it even if they told me themselves. They were honest living people, they wouldn't do this to me... What good would it bring to them anyway?

Why was it so hard to recall? Why? I know I got into an accident when I was eight, yet... Did I lose my memory? No one ever told me, and I didn't think it important to get to the bottom of this. My temples were staring to throb...

"If it's too painful to think of, forget it," Junmyun Oppa took my hand. "It's all over anyway..."

I nodded, retracting my hand. Rejection crossed over his face, and I instantly regretted my actions.

"And then he smiled at me! ME, Rachel, me!" Agalia's voice raised a few notches. She was describing the scene of her latest fan meet to me, as we were strolling in a shopping mall. Agalia gushed and her cheeks blushed faintly, ostensibly excited.

Unknowingly, I tossed my head to the right. It was the ice-cream store, that same ice-cream stall... My thoughts trailed to...

_"Yum!" Kai licked his lips and smiled. _

_"YAH! Stop eating mine!" I pouted. Kai loved to buy his own ice-cream, and then taste mine. We were at our favorite ice-cream parlor, eating ice-cream. The cool radiator at the side of the parlor welcomed us with open arms, making it our favourite ice-cream store. Also, we had most of our dates here, most probably because Kai just didn't bother to bring me somewhere posh to eat, but it was even more probably because I didn't care. _

_"But yours is nicer..." Kai nudged my shoulder and I stuck out my tongue. _

_"yah..." Kai pulled me towards him and his lips lingered on my cheek. The blood under my cheek burned, and I could feel myself turning beetroot. _

_"Wae..." I started, but he put a firm hand over my mouth. The moment was excruciatingly heart-throbbing. _

_Then he released me and chuckled. I puffed my cheeks. _

_"You had ice-cream on your cheek." _

How many beautiful days had we spent here... I wondered. This place held too much beautiful memories which had become too painful to keep. All I could do was to store them in my back of memories and toss the key away. They were scenes and re-enactments I never wanted to touch anymore...

I averted my gaze to my feet, watching them trudge along as I shut myself off from Agalia's crazy spazzing. My feet suddenly seemed a tad heavier.

Lifting my head, I watched the hustle and bustle in the mall, and amidst the people I saw-

Wait. No. No way, that's not-

Is that-

Memories flooded my head at that moment, and something inside of me clicked. I stopped in my tracks. That couldn't very well be...

"Oppa!" I called out. And started running. Fast.

He turned his head, and at that moment, I knew it was him. My older brother. Park Chanyeol.

I rushed towards him, wanting to prove that he is my brother.

Oppa... Tears splashed their way down my face as I tried to curb my longing for meeting him again. I just had a flashback. My brother was still alive. Yet, why didn't he turn in my direction? I weaved through the throng of people who had congregated in the mall, pushing shoulders and shoving others. I had to see him, with my very own eyes.

He was walking again. I pushed past everyone to get to him, trying my utmost not to fall. Oppa... Where are you going? Take me along... Jebal... Are you... Are you going to meet Appa and Omma? If so, please take me along, butakhaeyo... Oppa... Don't leave me anymore... I dont want to be the only one left here alone... This place holds too much sad memories... Please, don't leave anymore... Don't...

I really couldn't find him. Why did he disappear? Didn't he hear me call out to him? Didn't he know how much I wanted to be taken away? I was so lonely, in this terrible world which only contained sorrow and nothing else. For once in my life, I was wrenched with self-pity.

I sank to my knees. People were rushing to their destinations. They had family, they had people they loved waiting for them... But what about me? I had no one... No one...

Oppa... Why did you leave me again? Gave me that last shimmer of hope, and then take it away cruelly? When will all of you stop doing this to me? Did I do anything wrong? If so, tell me, don't just disappear...

"Rachel!" Agalia caught up with me, panting heavily. "Why did you just run away like this?"

"Agalia..." I enclosed my palms on Agalia's arm in a vice-like grip. "Oppa's not dead, Oppa's not dead..."

"Oppa? Who? Junmyun Sunbae? Why would he be dead?" Agalia asked incredulously.

"Ani," I shook my head, my face hot with tears. "My Oppa. Park chanyeol."

"Ahh?" Agalia shut her eyes and shook her head, "Rachel, it must be someone else. Your brother passed so long ago..."

"But I saw him..." I protested.

"It must be someone else. A hallucination, most probably. Don't think about it..."

I had been gnawing on my lip so hard, I tasted blood.

"Don't think about it..."

Tears streamed down my face. Was this really my sealed fate? To always be alone? I guess... No one would be there for me, forever and after...


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

KAI

I rubbed my eyes vigorously at the glimmering computer screen. This… it was impossible. How could this-? I needed to talk to someone. Anyone. About this. I can't… I can't handle this all by myself, I need…

A name flashed in my head. Rachel.

What are you thinking, Kim Jongin, don't be stupid. Even if we hadn't broke up, this… I couldn't tell her about this. The thought of her finding out the truth, breaking into uncontrollable sobs, but still trying to stifle her sorrow… I couldn't let that happen.

Sehun. Yes, he is my best bud after all, even if we had fought just a few days ago…

I charged swiftly into his room and plopped myself on his bed, crossing my legs.

"Man, the privacy, hello!" Sehun growled and spun around in his chair.

"It's not like Cheklin's here, I don't think I have to care about your privacy." I smirked. Instantly, I regretted my words. Sehun had quarreled with Cheklin last night, I shouldn't have…

"What do you want." He glowered at me.

"I need to talk to you about something, Sehun, something that only you and me know about."

His eyes widened. "About Cheklin?"

I shook my head.

"Let's get to the living room then." He lifted himself from his chair and glided towards the couch. "Shoot."

I plopped myself onto the couch opposite him. I could feel the leather tearing under me. Sehun ah, it's time to change these couches, if you need, I can lend you the money, you don't have to keep the façade on as if you don't need Baekhyun and my help… Whatever. I should just cut to the chase.

"I was curious, to whom exactly forced Cheklin and I to get married…" I began.

"Isn't it your parents?"

"Yeah, but we're only getting married because my company's on the brink of bankruptcy, isn't it? So I wanted to find out who was forcing my company into this state, with the market and all…" I was surprised at the fact that those two words "my company" rolled off my tongue with ease.

"Continue then."

"And then I realized. Hun, it's Park Enterprises."

"Uh huh." He commented, clearly unimpressed, with distinct apathy crossing his face. But… He should understand…

"Hun, when were you so slow? The CEO of Park Enterprises? Hello? Ring a bell?" I raised an eyebrow.

Sehun raised his eyebrow too. He cocked his head to one side in thought before, "I'm not quite sure I follow you."

I rolled my eyes. "The CEO is Park Chanyeol." I spilled the beans.

Tada-tada! Oh Sehun! Understand now? Does the name ring a bell? The cat's out of the bag so don't tell me you don't understand.

"Ohhhh… Wait." He lifted a finger in my direction to halt me, even though I wasn't even going to say anything. "That's just crazy. It's his own sister!"

I averted my gaze and locked it on a speck of dust gliding on the ground. My mind drifted back to when I was at the tender age of nine. When I called my mother "Omma" out of pure choice and not cohesion. When my mother was an angel in my eyes and I used to bask in her praise whenever she complimented me.

That year, Abuji had been in the States for Christmas as he had emergencies to attend to, and that woman had brought me to the Park family's house for, presumably, a Christmas visit. She claimed she needed to talk to Jaehyuk Ajussi for awhile, and as I explored the Parks' Mansion, I descried a lonesome figure standing at the threshold of his bedroom. It had to be Chanyeol hyung, but where was his sister Chanyu? I liked Chanyu, she was really cute. They had been my playmates since I were young, until they had disappeared for three years. So at that moment, when I spotted Chanyeol, I rushed towards him to greet him, but he slammed the door in my face. Before the door shut, I thought I saw his eyes laden with depression. I was discombobulated; wondering the reason for his dejection, and was unhappy as a result. I bounded down the steps, wishing to find my mother. As I peeked through the small gap at the door, I realized with displeasure that they were quarrelling; as I listened, I held my hand to my mouth.

"Can you just stop this?" Jaehyuk Ajussi's voice boomed, sending chills down my spine. In my memory, Jaehyuk Ajussi was a very patient man; he never had a cause for irritation or wrath.

"Chanyeol is already in this state, what more do you want? Do you have to ruin me before you're satisfied?" Chanyeol? Hyung? What happened to him?

I heard my mother sigh. "Since things are already in this state, you should understand how I feel." She clasped his arm with her two perfectly manicured, jewel-encrusted fair hands. "As long as you're with me, nothing worse will happen."

My lips quivered. What? Why did Omma say that? Was she going to be with Jaehyuk Ajussi? Didn't she love Appa? In everyone's eyes, Appa and Omma were the perfect couple, plus me, we were one perfect family, the stage of envy. Unless… My heart thudded. This was all a mask?

"Michyeoseo?!" Jaehyuk Ajussi vociferated in anger. "I don't love you anymore. Ever since you used such unscrupulous means to drive Jihyun out of the house, I hated you."

"If it wasn't for you, if you hadn't complained to Abuji about Jihyun, forcing her to leave, why would she have left me? Why would she have died and left the kids? Why would Chanyu have died? Why would Chanyeol have to be sent to the mental hospital?"

Tears welled up in my eyes. Aniya… Jihyun Ajuma… Chanyu died? Chanyeol hyung… Mental hospital? Aniya… This… This cannot happen… Wae? Slowly, the black and white were mingling and I could only see this patch of grey forming before my eyes as my dearest mother's ugliness surfaced.

"That's not my fault!" I heard her scream. "You should've been mine, it was Kwon Jihyun who snatched you away! Because she's rich, she's the princess, everyone's on her side. What about me? I have nothing and no one!"

"She's despicable. You…" Shaking my head in disappointment, I saw my mother leaning towards Jaehyuk Ajussi, forcing him to meet her gaze. "You love… me, don't you? You said… You said your marriage was arranged by your parents, you had no feelings for her, isn't it? You claimed you wanted to be with the one you love!"

"You're the despicable one. You pretended to be a Cinderella, gaining pity from me and everyone else. You resorted to underhand means, because you wanted my assets."

"I have to admit it. At the start, I didn't love Jihyun. I hated this arranged marriage which held no feelings. But… slowly, I began to fall for her. Every single time you did something unforgivable, I saw the ugliness in you, and I was alerted to her simplicity, her innocence, her kindness. I… I decided that I was going to love her forever…"

"But then you came along. You… You destroyed my happiness, my love, my life."

"What about me? What about my happiness?"

"Didn't you marry to Kim Jongdae? You got what you wanted; the wealth and the prestige. Unless…" He snorted. "Unless it didn't satisfy you, and you've come for mine?"

"You are MINE! I'm just reclaiming what belongs to me, what I deserve!" That detestable woman stomped out of the room, before stopping in front of me. I was alerted to how shocked, how terrified her shoes appeared to be, and as I looked up at her with tears flooding my eyes, I saw her terror of losing me just as she had lost Jaehyuk Ajussi's heart.

I shuddered. That memory left me mentally scarred for life, and I had come to hate her in my years of growth and development. Since then, I matured the way a nine-year-old needn't mature; I saw the ugliness of the world, and how extreme people can be to get the things they want. My mother was an excellent example…

I spent my teenage years searching for Chanyu, forcing myself to not believe the authenticity of her death. When I found out that she had been raised by Agalia's parents, I was over the moon. I protected her in my very own way, wanting to be by her side forever, ensuring that she was never out of sight. I tried to prevent her from the heartbreak she received by being with Junmyun, but I couldn't control their feelings. Every single joy of hers was my ecstasy, every time she smiled my heart flew towards the sky. I chose a local university when she celebrated her scholarship even though I knew I could make it overseas because I wanted her to see me, I didn't want to be hiding in the wings anymore.

So when I met her, and started to befriend her, I fell for her. I loved her, and more than anything, I needed to protect her.

But I still let her get hurt in the end. By my very own mother.

I guess this was our fate, wasn't it? I would always be the child of the lion, and she would always be the lamb.

She deserved better than me. Ever since I found out about what my mother did to her, ever since I fell for her, I have been hiding the truth from her, because I didn't want her to be hurt, and most importantly, I didn't want her to leave me.

I held on to her desperately, but at the very end, she still chose to leave me.

But I have made up my mind. No matter how many times she rejects me, pushes me away, I will continue being her guardian angel, I will continue being the man in the wings, silently loving her, protecting her, ensuring that she doesn't get hurt.

Because this is what I owe her. What we owe her. If I have to atone for my mother's sins, I will gladly do so.

And also…

Because…

I will always love her.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

RACHEL

I gingerly plugged my earplugs into my ears and trod on the dusty, dank streets. The streets were plagued with people and I caught a perturbing whiff of smoke as I turned the corner. Lifting my hand towards my nose, I tried to barricade the stench from filling my nostrils and leaving me difficulty to breathe, and I stared down at the ground, being cautious not to step on any used cigarette butts. It was cold; my teeth began to chatter before I tightened my jaws.

Lifting my head up, I caught sight of a dilapidated roadside stall. It sold drinks and some hot, tantalizing food. My lips crinkled into a smile. Just what I need on this cold, wintry night.

I approached the stall, and to my surprise, Kai was there too. He seemed drunk, as he leaned on a small wooden table and poured beer down his throat. I took the seat furthest from his line of vision, but I could not bring myself to order anything. I was too worried about him, and the cold had ceased to exist in my anxiety.

He was drunk. The table creaked under his weight as he teetered and tottered. I started to approach him, but he seemed not to notice me.

Before I knew it, he fell to the ground. Groaning in agony, he shut his eyes. I stood still, my vision blurring, and in that moment, I heard my heart break. It was a small, clean sound, like the snapping of a flower stem, like the fracture of a butterfly's fragile wing. Without hesitation, I dashed towards him and delicately brought him to his feet. Staggering next to me, he turned his head towards me.

"Oh, there's my girlfriend."

"Kai…" I soothed, wrestling away my tears.

"I thought you left me? Now you decided you wanted me again?" His voice carried traces of woe.

I turned my head and brushed the tears away swiftly from my flushed cheeks. He murmured incoherently, but didn't continue any further. Kai… Why? Why are you like this? If you continue doing this, how do you expect to move on? How do you expect me to move on?

"Here." Sehun offered as he clumsily helped me bring Kai back into his room. We set him down with care onto his bed and Sehun helped to slide off his shoes. I covered him with the blanket and he moaned. Dropping my purse onto the floor next to the nightstand, I knelt beside his bed. He had a crease between his brows, and I gently kneaded his forehead until the crease vanished.

Tears spilled out of my eyes. I felt the pressure of Sehun's fingers on my shoulder and his grip tightened. "I'll leave first."

Kai… I wet a piece of cloth and squeezed it dry before I brought it to his forehead. Tears were mounting up in my eyes, threatening to wreck havoc. I squeezed his arm and cried softly by his bedside. Mianhae… Mianhae… I wanted to say. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I love you.

I could see his chest quietly rising and falling under the covers and I felt a genuine fear starting in my limbs. What if he never got over me? What if my absence proved to be something bad for him? What if he did something silly? A lump in my throat formed and refused to budge. I thought leaving him was for the best, but what if I was wrong? What if, against my better judgment, I had not left him? Would things really be better? Or would it be worse?

I had been incepted with the perception that if I didn't leave him, everyone around us would suffer. Sehun and Agalia's education would be at risk, Agalia's parents would lose their jobs, and even Baekhyun might be adversely affected. Most of all, Kai would be disgraced eternally because of his choice of being with me. But… But what if…

Instantly, I wished I had been more selfish. If I had clung on to this relationship the way one would cling on to a cliff sixteen stories high to avoid falling to his death, if I had not given up but tried to change things, perhaps, perhaps, we could save everyone without compromising our relationship. Then I wrenched myself from that thought.

Aniya, Park Chanyu. You cannot be so selfish. Think about how much Sehun and Agalia have helped you since you were young. My mind was flooded with memories of our childhood spent together, when Agalia's parents had raised me. Every evening, Sehun would conveniently cross the street over to play and study with Agalia and me. We were childhood friends, and Agalia's parents raised me. I couldn't be so selfish. I couldn't do this to the people I love. It was too cruel. If my happiness could be exchanged for theirs, it was only right for me to do so.

But what about Kai? What about _his_ happiness? I guess his would have to wait. I took his hand and held it in my hands, and this made me feel better, his hand being there. I lifted it up and squeezed his hand. Then I just held it in mine. It was just the right size, and our hands fitted perfectly with each others'. I traced the lines on his hand carefully, deep in thought. Kai would understand. One day, one day, he would be happy. Until then, I would just have to shut my eyes and pretend that his hurt is not ebbing away the edges of my heart.

My watch registered the timing. 14/01/2012. 0:00.

_It was his birthday. _

"Kai, saengilchukhahae," I muttered to him. "I love you."

He stirred in his sleep, and I held my breath, afraid that he would arouse. My eyelids were drooping and before I knew it, I was fast asleep next to him.

"Rachel…" I heard Kai's voice by my ears and my eyelids flipped open in shock. Dang, my heart sank. He was awake. Why did I fall asleep? Dang. Dang. Dang.

He smiled weakly. I quickly brushed away the tears and lifted myself to my feet, sliding my purse into my hands.

"I knew you still loved me. I heard you, you know? I heard your voice in my sleep." He smiled.

I bit my lip as I tried to avoid his gaze. I thought I tasted blood.

He smiled weakly, making my heart pound. "Kai, saengilchukhahae..." I blurted before I could stop myself.

His eyes widened and he opened his mouth, about to say something.

Counting silently in my head, I made a dash for his bedroom door after my counting had reached three and I raced out into Sehun's bedroom. By now, he must have been on his feet, for I felt footsteps behind me. I slammed the door in his face and woke Sehun up.

"Sehun, he's awake. I… What am I going to do?"

The sun was peeking in the horizon, a clear sign that it was dawn. Sehun rubbed his eyes and sat up calmly. He looked at me blankly before registering my words. "You hide in here and I'll go out and get him away. Then make a dash for the door."

He got to his feet and I rushed into his bathroom. I heard the door creak open and Kai asking with disquietude in his voice.

"Where's she?"

"Who?" Sehun feigned ignorance and I heard them make their way to the sitting room. I quietly paced myself to the door and took a double-take. Should I leave now? Or would he catch me? I couldn't let him see me; I couldn't let him think I was still caring about him…

…

"-you must have been dreaming. Jong, she never came."

"Don't lie to me. Then who brought me back?"

"Of course it was me, who do you think?"

This was my chance. I made a sprint to the door and tried to unlock it. Too late. He had seen me.

"Rachel!" Kai lunged towards the door as I finally unlocked the door and scuttled out. I shut the door quickly before he could exit and tightened my grip on the handle, careful not to let the door open. Kai used all his body strength to open the door, but I felt his grip loosen as he slid down to the floor. He was still weak from the migraine the alcohol caused.

I felt my own body slide down against the door and fat droplets of tears rolled down my cheeks. I'm sorry, Kai. I'm so sorry…

"Rachel!" Kai hollered. "Why are you doing this to me? Why do you do this to me? What can I do to get you back?"

Hot tears gushed.

"RACHEL! WAE!"

I shut my eyes, allowing the tears to spill on my blouse.

"YOU KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!"

I could hear Sehun tugging at his shoulder, trying to bring him back. But Kai tore his hand off his shoulder and banged against the door, each hit was shattering my heart into a million fragments, and from those million fragments came another million from each fragment, cutting me open, tearing me apart.

"...today's my birthday... But look at me, am I happy?"

I'm sorry, Kai, I'm sorry… I shouldn't have brought you back… I should've spared you the misery. Once again, I made the wrong choice for you…

I lifted myself to my feet and stalked off, biting on my lip in an attempt to push back the tears.

Kai, forgive me.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-three

RACHEL

My brother is still alive. Park Chanyeol is still alive. I can hardly believe my ears. Wait, that means that Agalia's parents have been lying to me? I can't picture that... They are such...

I sauntered towards Agalia's parents' house, a village I hadn't visited for a long period of time. I knocked my knuckles against the door which paint peeled upon contact. My fingers lingered on the door, reminiscing the times where Agalia and I used to play in this very house. The innocence of childhood hid us from the cold reality of the world, how I wished we could return to those times where...

I cringed. Where I hadn't met Kai...

The door creaked open. "Chanyu-ah?" Her mother's face brightened. She seemed happy enough to see me, before she noticed the crease between my brows.

"Ajuma." I smiled.

She placed a platter of kimchi, a cup of tea and a small china teapot on the coffee table, lifting the lid. "What brings you here?"

"Ajuma... My brother's not dead, is he?"

The lid of the teapot clinked.

"Chanyu, when did you find out?" Ajuma's eyes bored into mine, scrutinizing as I bit my lip, peering at the floor.

"Awhile ago."

Agalia's mother sighed emphatically and took my hand, patting it softly in an assuaging manner.

"Chanyu-ah, let me tell you a story..."

My knees buckled under my weight. I never seemed to have walking difficulties, so why did I now? Tears were threatening to spill out any time, betraying my emotions. I tried my utmost to creak my joints into motion, but I mostly stood in a certain position before moving away, the cycle repeating over and over again. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.

I was at a shopping mall and I had no idea what I was doing there. My legs just found their way there even though I had difficulty walking.

According to Ajuma, my mother left my father when I was six with my brother to the village where Agalia and her parents lived. Having been in an arranged marriage, my mother had been forced out of the Parks' household because of someone whom my father loved, whom had been breaking the relationship between my mother and my grandfather. My mother had been living with us happily for three years before she disappeared one day, never to be found again. I was left under the care of Agalia's parents, and my brother had disappeared after the news of my mother's death came. Agalia's parents had thought that Oppa had died, and when they recounted the news to me, I had dashed out of the house and was involved in a car accident. When I awoke, I had been found that I had lost my memory. In an attempt not to break my young heart, Agalia's parents had chosen to hide the truth from me. I didn't blame them for it, I didn't...

Guess who was the woman my father loved. I winced from the effect that name had on me. Jung Sooyeon.

Kai's beloved mother.

Kai, or rather, Kim Jongin, was my childhood friend and we had spent very good times together. At that moment, when Agalia's mother had told me the truth, all those heart-warming childhood memories with my brother and Kai came gushing into my memory.

Wait. That meant that... The swimming pool incident from two years ago... Kai knew who I was? Kai... Kai had been looking for me? Kai knew me but he never told me?

_I had been at a public swimming pool, just cleaving through the waters when I had suffered from a leg cramp. I felt the water gushing into my mouth, nose, eyes, everywhere, and I had thought that I was going to die. But I didn't. I had been saved by someone. _

_When my heavy eyelids had flipped open gradually, I was greeted by a beautiful sight. A dark-haired boy with a statuesque figure. He had radiant prominent features and his hair was wet from saving me. _

_"gwenchana?" he smiled and held out his hand. "Annyeonghasaeyo, cheoneun Kim Jongin ibnida." _

That memory evoked a plethora of emotions which started to congest my heart and clog up my windpipe, leaving me difficulty in breathing. Tears cascaded down my cheeks and I felt my hand moving into my pocket, clasping my phone.

I dialled those eleven numbers.

카이❤

"Rachel?" His solacing voice filled my ear. How I wished that he was right here by my side...

"Jongie?" I spelled out the familiar childhood name I had bestowed him.

There was only static at the other end of the line.

"Two years ago... At the swimming pool... Why were you there?"

Static. Nothing but static.

"KIM JONGIN!" I cried into the phone. "Malhaebwa... Tell me you were there by coincidence... It... It wasn't that you knew... And you didn't tell me, right?"

Silence. Long stony silence... It meant consent.

"Rach-" Kai's voice halted me from putting down the phone, "I'm sorry, I should've-"

"So you did lie to me after all."

There was silence again. A foreboding silence.

The phone slipped from my grasp. Why did he not tell me? He had told me that it was merely a coincidence, that he just saw me at the swimming pool... But no... He knew it long ago... But he just kept it from me... He had been protecting me ever since he knew, but he kept it from me...

Why was it that everyone who loved me was lying to me?

I lifted my gaze from my phone which had shattered into pieces and looked where my legs had found me.

It was the CD-store that Kai and I frequented. I stepped into the store, the cool whirring of the air-conditioner greeting me, sending chills down my spine. On the inside, a storm was raging, the frigid winter was billowing...

The store owner greeted me as a frequent customer, nodding. I went to the headset to hear the song currently playing.

It was an English song.

"I never thought I'd need you there when I cry

And the days feel like years when I'm alone

And the bed where you lie is made up on your side"

Avril Lavigne's When You're Gone.

"When you walk away I count the steps that you take

Do you see how much I need you right now?"

The tears which had ceased to flow inaugurated its spate.

"When you're gone

The pieces of my heart are missing you

When you're gone

The face I came to know is missing too

When you're gone

The words I need to hear to always get me through

The day and make it ok

I miss you"

I tore the headset from my ears and collapsed onto the floor. The headset hung from its original position and I could still hear the hum of the instrumental harmony. Tears had strained my face, and my eyes were blank with uncertainty for the future.

"Rachel!" Sehun's voice emanated out of the blue.

"Rach!" Agalia was here too.

"How did you know I was here?" I faked a smile.

"Kai... He told us we'll find you here..."

Kai. Kai still knew me the best. My lips crinkled into a smile at that thought.

"C'mon, Rachel..." Sehun said, lifting me to my feet. They pulled me gently to the exit and as I exited, my head turned uncontrollably, eyes lingering on the tainted glass doors. I felt I had left Kai at that very store, where we used to...

Goodbye, Kai...


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four

She sashayed out in her glamorous white dress as her dear friend Agalia commenced her "ooh"s and "ah"s, as usual, the epitome of exaggeration. The dress was beautiful; contrary to its owner, she believed, its pretty frilly edges were bedecked with only the finest white gold jewels, nice and puffy. The dress was a halter-neck even though Rachel felt it too revealing to don to their college masquerade. The college masquerade was organized for the senior students in Sungkyunkwan University before the much dreaded final examinations. The dance was a much-awaited break before the examinations which would determine each and everyone of their fate.

This glittering gorgeous dress was tailored by Agalia's mother, who had been taking care of Rachel. Of course, she had for her own daughter a beautiful one too, but she knew white was the colour for Rachel because of the fair skin tone she possessed. Agalia's mother was a brilliant and most talented tailor, and it was a wonder where she found all those jewels - a reward from her employer as a result of her diligence.

"Gosh, Rach... You look nice!" Agalia's eyes twinkled.

"Thanks Agalia," she smiled. Her friend always knew how to say the best things to her...

The doorbell rang, and Agalia scampered to open the door. It must be Baekhyun, Rachel smiled. Ever since she moved back to stay with Agalia, she had noticed that Agalia seldom went to Baekhyun's house; he visited instead.

She pranced out in her white dress, hoping to welcome the guest. At the threshold, however, she halted abruptly. The guest was extremely unexpected. She did not anticipate his visit, especially not since she had moved out of his house approximately two weeks before.

"Jun- Ani, Suho Sunbae..." Rachel's voice trailed off. Suho smiled, his hair swinging. As usual, he appeared perfect, the nicely-shaped eyebrows, his heart-throbbing eye-smile, the impeccably sharp nose, the full lips, the defined jaw bone... Suho was the living testament of perfection.

Her train of thoughts raced to two weeks ago...

_"Why are you leaving?" She had reached home after a long talk with Agalia and Sehun about moving back to Agalia and her house, packed her luggage and was on the verge of leaving when Suho had stopped her. _

_"Junmyun Oppa, I'm sorry, I want to go back... I..." She didn't understand why, but she had this longing urge to go back to the place where she could reminisce about Kai and her past, where Agalia would be there for her. Agalia had explained to her that it was extremely dangerous for a single guy and girl to live together, what's more the guy still harbored thoughts of a reconciliation... But it wasn't this that caused her to want to move out... That was the inexplicable part. _

_She was about to move off, when Suho had stopped her and kissed her. On the lips. Stupefied, she backed off, raised her arm and slapped him. How could he-? She trusted him... How could he do such a thing? _

_"So you move in, use me to forget him, and then you leave?" Suho's voice, dripping with anguish, caused her to come to a standstill. "So I was just a stepping stone..." _

_She swung around. "Junmyun Oppa..." _

_"Don't. Call. Me. That." He spat, his back still to her. Turning around gradually, she descried a pang of sorrow in his eyes. "from now on, I shall be Suho Sunbae to you." _

_From her lips escaped a gasp. Suho only asked those who were not close to him to call him Suho Sunbae. To her, he had always been Junmyun Oppa, nothing else... _

_"Oppa, believe it or not, I never thought about using you." with that, she had left. _

Now in her sight stood the same guy whom vowed he would never see her again. His eyes widened and his mouth lay agape at the sight of her in a dress. "You look so beautiful, Rachel."

At those words, she imagined Kai to be the speaker of those words, and she blushed unknowingly. "Thanks" she gushed.

"Junmyun Oppa, I'm so glad you're here! Tell me if I look good in my dress!" Thankfully, Agalia broke the awkward silence before parading to the room.

They sat on the couch and just smiled oafishly at each other.

"Rachel..."

She looked up from scratching her feet on the ground.

"About asking you to call me Suho, I... Didn't mean it."

She nodded, her eyes back on the ground, focusing of a tiny speck of dust which tainted the perfection of the almost-flawless marble floor.

"I'm sorry for hurting you by saying those stuff, it was terrible."

She nodded, it seemed as if a cat had taken her tongue away.

"But about that kiss..."

He clucked his tongue, signaling for her to look up.

"I won't apologise."

She looked back down.

"Because I don't feel... I did anything wrong."

Puffing up her cheeks, her shoulders drooped a little, relief conspicuous. She didn't want him to apologize because that would just make her even more guilty.

"Although forcing you was unforgivable, but..."

He took her hand, gazing into her eyes.

"That kiss was something I was gonna do sooner or later."

"Junmyun Oppa... Listen..."

"No, Rachel, you listen. I know that your heart is still with him. Let's face it, even though you left him, your heart was always with him. The times we spent together, well... I was just spending time with an empty shell. Cold, devoid of all emotions, that was you. You kept going back to him, with the excuse that you still cared for him as a friend. I knew those were excuses. Every single time you went back to him, you came home crying. On his birthday, after you related to me what happened and cried on my shoulder, I knew that all hope was lost. But I still held on to the notion that perhaps, really perhaps, I could still get you back. I thought you could be mine again. And this time, I would treasure you and never let you go, never let you cry anymore. I thought i could be the one to give you happiness. I thought you could still fall for me. Stupid me."

The humanity buried deep within him had started to surface then, and didn't leave until his eyes were bloodshot with tears. Rachel bit her lip to contain the tears. She didn't want her beloved Sunbae-nim, one she loved so much and trusted with all her heart, to be torn apart because of her. Love was the epitome of asininity. Why did it have to torment all of them like this?

"Oppa~" Agalia sang into the room, and Rachel and Suho quickly dried their tears.

"Oh... Gwenchana?"

They looked up at Agalia. She was clad in a hot pink eye-catching dress, and as usual, she was beautiful. The dress complimented her figure wondrously. It was tight around the chest area and her stomach appeared flat. The bottom was so fluffy, she looked like a princess. She just missed on a crown. The dress was flattering and garnished with pink jewels, as expected from Agalia's mother.

"Agalia, you look beautiful!" Rachel chorused. It was a fact, Agalia did look extremely beautiful.

But Suho's eyes were on Rachel instead.

"So, so beautiful." he smiled.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

She entered the ballroom, her teeth chattering until she tightened her jaw. Unbeknownst to Agalia, it was not because of the cold of the ballroom, no, surely she could get past that, it was because of the premonition that she was about to meet someone new. Agalia had assured her that she had found a dancing partner for her during the masquerade. Hopefully, the beautiful mask sewn with sequins personally to look like Juliette's mask in SHINee's Juliette would be sufficient to conceal the nerve-wreck in her. The dress was a little too long as she would have liked it to be and she found the dress dragging on the floor like how a bride's would be when she is holding the bridegroom's hand, walking to the altar.

Agalia's make-up skills had worked wonders on Rachel. To her, Agalia had transformed an ugly duckling like her to a beautiful swan. The pot of eyeshadow Agalia had willingly used on her was the product of the renowned Christine Dior, pale purplish-blue and shimmering. The liquid eyeliner proved to make her eyes appear larger, and the touch of blush was just adequate to mark out her cheekbones to minimize the baby fat. Agalia hadn't made-up Rachel's lips to be too red, so it was just right - like the blush of the bridegroom's face when his lips touches those of the bride's. Indeed, Agalia had put in her best.

They sauntered towards a man with a mask on, the one who would be Rachel's dancing partner. His eyes widened when he saw her and she curtsied, incognizant to his identity.

"This is your dancing partner for the night, Rach." Agalia tried to stifle her giggle. "Enjoy!" She smiled before rushing into the arms of Baekhyun.

They ambled to the refreshments, occasionally nodding at each other and smiling, but Rachel could feel his eyes were almost always on her. Did Agalia really made her out to be so beautiful? The mask covered a very small portion of her face, only the eyes, enough to obscure her identity, but not quite enough to dissemble the beauty.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the dance shall commence in five minutes! Please take your place in the ballroom!" the emcee boomed through the microphone with a beam of a Cheshire Cat.

Rachel's dancing partner held out his hand, leading her to the dance floor. The music began.

He held out his hand for her and gently placed the other around her waist whilst she placed hers on his shoulder. There was something about his hand; it was uncomfortably conversant and she shuddered at its familiarity. His hand was warm and dancing with him evoked in her an odd sense of security. Could it be... Could he be Kai?

It was logical to be Kai. Agalia would have done that. Okay, it so was Kai. The way he looked at her was replete evidence that he was her beloved ex-boyfriend. Kai... She looked into his eyes bravely for the first time, her heart ricocheting against her ribcage. Yes. It was Kai.

"Rachel, it's me." His voice soothed her.

She smiled.

"Isn't it hilarious... We were together, we broke, and now we're dancing partners... It's crazy, isn't it?" she shook her head.

Now the dance was original such that everyone had to change partners now and then. Whilst Kai was contemplating on his answer, Rachel had already swung around to dance with Sehun and Cheklin with Kai.

"Rach, it isn't hilarious... It's fate." Sehun chuckled to himself.

"Yah. Oh Sehun. Don't think I'm not aware... You're part of this conspiracy too."

"Conspiracy? We're trying to help you, Rach." Sehun smiled gently.

On Kai's side, he was looking out for Rachel, not paying any attention to his dancing.

"Jongin-ssi, she's gonna be fine." Cheklin smiled.

"I... Cheklin-ssi, do you think we're really gonna get married?"

"I don't know, Jongin... I have a plan though..."

The dance partner switch occurred again.

"Hey Rachel." Baekhyun smirked.

"Hey Baekhyun."

"So how do I look?" He held his head high.

She giggled. "Perfect for Agalia."

"You think so?" He awaited her answer eagerly.

"I know so."

"Agalia, daebak!" Sehun praised. "I didn't know you were that smart!"

"I told you my plan was great. They have to be together for... Well... The rest of the dance." Agalia looked over at Rachel and Kai who had found themselves together again. "I mean, just look at them. They will patch up."

"Agalia..."

"Yeah?" She kept her focus back on Sehun.

"Tell Jongin. About why Rachel left him. I... I can't continue seeing them hurting each other and hurting themselves..." He shook his head.

The switching just carried on until the dance ended, or rather, the six of them grew tired of it. Baekhyun hurried to satiate his growing hunger, Cheklin and Sehun distracted Rachel through chatting, and Agalia approached Kai.

"Agalia?"

"Jongin, I need to tell you something."

She recounted and explained every single thing, from before their break-up, what Rachel had experienced, her fears and worries for Agalia and Sehun, her knowledge that Kai would not receive the company if she didn't break up with him, to after their break-up, the countless days and nights Rachel had cried for him, wishing he was there to comfort her, to sing her to sleep, to hold her in his arms. As the truth finally spilled out of Agalia's mouth, Kai found himself in tears. The uncontrollable tears emitted from his eyes as he shook his head in guilt. He thought Rachel had really stopped loving him! How could he doubt such a strong emotion of Rachel's? He cursed himself, clenching his fists till the knuckles became white.

Thereafter, he brisk-walked towards Rachel sitting with Sehun and Cheklin, forcefully took her hand and led her away, until no one could see them. She snatched her hand away from him and was about to scream at him for hurting her when he swung her in his arms and kissed her. The blood under his skin boiled and she could feel all the passion and desperation of his emanating from that kiss.

"I know everything." He said when he released her gently. "Everything, what my mother did to you, how worried you were for them, how much you love me... I'm sorry, Rachel... Mianhae."

At those words, tears began to spill from Rachel's eyes. She could hardly contain her emotions. Kai finally understood. He finally understood. He placed his hands on her shoulder, whispering words of comfort to her.

She didn't have to pretend she didn't care about Kai anymore. Everything was over. Kai was going to be there for her again...

"Geundae. Don't you think you are a bit selfish?" He commented disapprovingly.

She looked up in surprise, the tears obscuring her vision and her visage watery from the immense crying.

"You always make the decisions, you always get to decide whether you want to break or not... I... I never get to say anything for myself."

She bit her lip. Yes, she was always the one making the decisions. She never considered his feelings, she just did what she thought was the best for everyone. She never asked anyone, she only trusted her judgement. She wasn't fair to Kai. Kai was always in the dark about things when the rest of the world knew.

"This time, I make the decision."

Smiling, he pulled her into his arms, tucking his chin in her shoulder.

"You're staying with me."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

RACHEL

My eyelids quietly flipped open, and from my lips escaped a gasp. Kai was sleeping right next to me, and his face was positioned just inches away from mine. We were back at my house after the masquerade, and had talked and kissed a lot before we went back to bed. He looks so beautiful like this, yet so untouchable… His eyes shut, he struck me as a merely innocent teenager. His nose was so straight and cute, and his lips appeared so pink and plump.

Aigoo. Rachel, what are you thinking?!

Clandestinely, I began my scrutiny of his face. He looked so tranquil and serene when he was sleeping, and the corners of his lips curled in a ghost of a smile. Kai was so good-looking~ Or was it the biasness of my perceptions that resulted in such inappropriate thoughts?

He began to stir in his sleep, and I repositioned myself, shutting my eyes.

I felt the weight from his body being lifted up from the bed as he sat up. He gave an adorable child-like yawn and I had to restrain myself from giggling. I felt the distance between us closing as he leaned down, pressing his lips on my cheek, the warmth of his body enclosing on me.

"You really can't act, you know?" He scoffed.

I cracked an eyelid open and he smiled. Leaning down to be next to me, his body warmth engulfed me.

"So why were you peering at me? It's rude." He shook his head, trying to stifle his laugh.

So he knew.

"I was not."

"Yes you were." He leaned in, grinning. "I could feel it."

"Perhaps your intuition was wrong."

"Perhaps," he shrugged.

A taut silence hung in mid-air. "Fine!" I exhaled sharply. "You're really good-looking in your sleep."

His lips curled into a goofy smile. "I know."

I rolled my eyes, resisting the urge to kick him.

"Come on, I have to bring you somewhere." He sat up from the bed and I came off the bed. I turned to look at him, and that was when I realized something that I had been completely incognizant to.

Kai was naked.

I mean, yes, he was wearing pants and all, but he wasn't actually wearing a shirt. My eyes involuntarily scanned his upper body, widening at his chiseled abs. I felt the blood under my cheek burn and I instantly turned away.

I wasn't much better either. I was wearing a pink tank top and hot pants which clung to my thighs. Oh gosh this was so humiliating… Last night, I was feeling so blissful to have him back with me that I had just put on the first garments I saw.

"Kai?"

"Hmm?" He smiled teasingly. This guy…

"Why aren't you wearing a shirt?" I blushed again.

"Cos you took it off last night."

"MWOH?" I did not, did I? I only remembered sleeping next to him, we didn't… All I could recall was that there was a whole lot of kissing last night… Nothing else, right?

"I was kidding." He smiled and stood up. "It was getting hot in the room, so I…" What was he talking about? It was mid-winter. He just wanted to tease me.

My shoulders slumped in relief. "Phew." I looked back at him, my cheeks turning scarlet. "Well, you can change here then, I'll go…"

Just as I was about to scamper out of the room, he pulled me in from behind. His bare skin was in intimate physical contact with my shirt and the burn in my cheeks intensified.

"How are you going to change without clothes, jagiya?"

"Oh" escaped from my lips and I rushed to my wardrobe, extracting my clothes before sprinting out of the room.

His fingers entwined in mine, we sauntered towards the cafeteria. He said he wanted me to meet someone. The wind chimes greeted us, the radiator welcoming us with open arms. I scanned my surroundings and out of the corner of my eye, someone stood to welcome us.

My heart skipped a beat. It was my older brother.

"Oppa!" I yelped and rushed to him, followed closely by Kai.

Oppa smiled, tears welling up in his eyes.

"This was who I wanted you to meet, rach." Kai smiled.

We spent hours just at the cafeteria, our drinks being refilled over and over again as we chatted about our current lives. Apparently, once my father had found out that my mother had passed away, he dispatched people to look for us, and he found my brother, but he didn't find me. I was enraptured by the reunion that I unintentionally ignored Kai for that few hours, but he was supportive and just kept that smile on the whole time. Chanyeol Oppa told me that Kai had arranged for us to be reunited, and I turned to Kai, nodding at him through eyes blurry with tears.

"Oppa…" I smiled. "You know, Kai and I…"

"I know you're together." Oppa's deep voice reverberated from his chest. "I was the one who forced the Kim Company into debt, in an effort for revenge of what they did to Eomma, and I indirectly hurt you… Mian, Chanyu-ah."

I shook my head.

"I'm willing to let go of this. Really."

So Kai and I could be together? My eyes brightened and Kai clasped his hands in glee, intoxication surging through his veins.

"As long as you're happy…"


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-seven 

RACHEL

I let out a curt yawn and stretched out my arms, sauntering languidly towards the sitting room. Agalia was on the couch, sitting ramrod straight, her arms were outstretched onto the table and in her hands, there was a pretty milky white envelope with a golden lacy ribbon wrapping it. I could guess what it was and involuntarily, I bit my lip.

"Agalia." I smiled and sat next to her.

"Rach-" she began.

"First of, tell me what's that." I laughed, but that laugh of mine resounded in my ears as artificial and absolutely fraudulent. Shrugging my shoulders, I was about to reach out to retrieve it when Agalia's hands slammed it down on the table.

"Agalia." I demanded and my face changed colour. "Let me see it."

"No, Rach-"

"I already know what it is. Just let me see it, please! Gosh, what's wrong with you, I already know okay! Why are you making this worse? Like, oh my gosh Agalia-"

"Okay okay..." Agalia released her grip and I snatched it. Tearing the seal ruthlessly, I pulled the thick slip of paper from the envelope and unfolded it.

"Mr and Mrs Kim and Mr and Mrs Tan

Warmly Invite

Rachel Park Chanyu

To bear witness of the marriage between

Kim Jongin and Tan Cheklin

On the 26th of February

At the Royal Tan Hotel"

My heart literally ached at the sight of those words. A day after my birthday. Perfect. I curled a strand of hair which had fallen loose behind my ear and presented a spurious smile to Agalia.

"Cheklin asked us to be her bridesmaids?"

Agalia bent her head down and nodded. She wished I hadn't seen it. I smiled, resigning to the fate. I averted my gaze to the wedding invite that sat precariously on my lap, my gaze lost at the labyrinth of words.

"Rachel, you don't have to go, I'll tell Cheklin-"

"Of course I'm going." I said.

"Rach-"

"And-" I looked up, a pseudo smile plastered on my face. "I'm going to be her bridesmaid."

"WHAT?" Agalia stood up, shell-shocked. "No, you can't go... You can't Rach-"

And that was when I slipped the invite into my bag, strapped it across my shoulder and torpedoed out of my house.

"Looking for Master Jongin?" Mr Kris, whom I assumed was the butler, straightened his tie and led me up to Kai's room. The marble floors sparkled with a gleam that impressed me. No amount of scrubbing of my account could result in this "spick and span".

We passed door after door. The doors were made from a material which I knew was extravagant from the look of it. Figures, I smiled to myself. Even in a financial crisis, the Kims would never miss out on a chance to be ostentatious. My fist scrunched up uncontrollably though. It didn't seem fair that such a woman like Jung Sooyeon could enjoy such exorbitance. But since that was technically not supposedly within my judgement, my balled-up fist released its unyielding grasp.

Eventually, Mr Kris nodded to a room. I bowed courteously before discreetly sliding the lubricated door open. On tenter hooks, I stepped inside.

Kai's room was beautiful. A step into the room and you would be bestowed with exquisiteness. His terra-cotta walk-in wardrobe had intricate carvings on it, one more indecipherable than the other, but I could make out the ones at the middle. "Kim Jongin" it read. The marble floors seemed to have been polished just seconds before, and I paced on each floorboard, careful not to taint its perfection. I peered into the lavatory. It was even larger than my entire house. The bathtub was sunken deep in, resembling an empty well. The toilet had a glass covering over it and the whole sink comprised of glass and more glass. I left the toilet, paying homage to the room. Gingerly prying open the wardrobe, I almost gasped. The walls of the wardrobe was suffused with pictures of us together, but particularly, me. My heart warmed. I suppressed a giggle at one of the pictures where I looked like a complete dork and Kai was pressing his lips on my cheek. My head cocked to a side, venerating his impeccable face.

Where was Kai? I crept stealthily towards his bed, where he had his iPod earphones plugged in, his arms crossed behind his head as he smiled in serenity. Sitting on the bed gently, i gazed at him lovingly. He looked so halcyon I couldn't resist caressing his face. His hand grabbed my wrist. Oops. He was awake.

"What are you trying to do-" He sat up, opening his eyes. "Take advantage of an innocent boy when he's sleeping?"

I sniggered and shrugged. "If you count yourself as an innocent boy."

He smirked and sat me on his lap, letting my head fall on his shoulder as he pasted a kiss on my cheek. "What are you doing here." It sounded more like a statement than a question.

"I need a reason to be with my boyfriend?" I smiled. But I stood up from his lap and obtained the invite from my purse.

"Why am I invited only now?" I pouted teasingly and handed him the invite.

His eyes widened inquisitively and he took it from my hands but soon after, his expression darkened upon reading the words. Biting his lip, he scrunched the invitation in his hands.

"Rach-"

"First off, I'm going!" I smiled, but my chest was assailed with twinges. "And I'm Cheklin's bridesmaid!"

"WHAT?" Kai's glare was murderous. "no, you're not going. You're not, full stop."

"Kai-"

"No."

"Cheklin needs me there." I shrugged. "Besides, didn't you ask Sehun to be one of your best men?"

Kai's mouth lay agape. "But I..." He sighed. "Nothing can make me stop you, right?"

"Nope." I shook my head, smiling. "Nothing at all."

He pulled me down onto his lap. A taut silence hung in the air.

"You know, we... We don't have to end like this. We don't have to end." Kai murmured, just audible for me.

This time, I shot up from the bed. "WHAT?"

"I mean-"

"You think I'm so cheap?"

"Huh?" He shook his head. "No, I... I didn't mean it like that... No... I... I meant-"

"You think I'll just... Cling on to you forever... And never let you go, and... And... You think I'm so cheap, so easy that I'll hold on to a married man?" I shook my head in disappointment. I couldn't believe my ears. How could he think of me like this? That thought never occurred to me. Or was it because... I never really believed my friend and my boyfriend would tie the knot while I was alive?

"Rachel, listen."

"No, Kai, you listen." My voice broke into sobs and a lump formed in my throat, refusing to budge. I was panting heavily and I couldn't speak coherently but I forced those words out of my grazing throat. "I love you," I nodded. "a lot. But I won't do such a thing. You know what? Perhaps this is an opportune moment to end this. Let's just forget about everything that happened and-" I enclosed my face in my hands.

Kai's placed his hands on my shoulders. "Don't do this to me, Rachel..."

Sniffling back tears, I pushed him back down on the bed, slung my bag over my shoulder and whisked out of the room, my hand over my mouth, stifling my tears of hurt and sorrow.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-eight

RACHEL

Agalia sighed and entered our apartment. She had been at the gym. Her cranberry lipstick was visible only on the outer reaches of her mouth, and her eyeliner left charcoal patches beneath her lower lashes, and she appeared tired. I was at the coffee table, a white changing table with mint-green knobs, leaning against checkered cushions as I tried in vain to concentrate on my task at hand. With an arsenal of colored pencils at hand, I was annotating my notes. Sighing, I unclipped my hair, coiling it neatly at the nape.

My phone rang, again. I let my gaze fall on the Caller ID. Again, I smirked. This was the third time that he called me this morning, and for the third time, I was going to... I pressed a button. Refuse his call.

"Rachel..." Agalia shook her head smiling, prying her sneakers from her feet without untying them. "Still not answering his call?"

"Course not. I have to..." I flailed my arms in an attempt to gesticulate, "Show him I'm not so easy!"

Agalia shook her head and rolled her eyes. She probably thought I was being ludicrously immature, but for now, I didn't need to understand things from her point of view. Since our little fight yesterday, I had long forgiven Kai- but of course I wouldn't tell him that yet.

She went into her room, washed up, changed, before leaving for Baekhyun's house. I sighed against the leg of the couch before arriving at my smashing conclusion that I should just sleep.

...

I awoke, feeling drowsy and went for a bath. Exiting the bathroom, I winced at the pathetic state of my room as compared to the palatial stature of Kai's. Strolling towards the coffee table, I undid the towel and draped it over a chair, allowing my damp hair, to fall across my back. As I walked absently towards my phone I took out a few tangles with my fingers, picking up my phone.

Oh my gosh. 27 missed calls?! 13 messages?!

I leafed through the messages.

Kai: Rachel, please answer my calls, won't you? I really need to speak to you. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday, I didn't mean it that way, I really didn't.

Kai: Rachel, please. I beg you. If you don't answer your phone I'm going to call the police. Please.

Kai: What do you want me to do before you answer my calls? This is getting stupid. I've called you so many times!

I smirked. Still pompous and arrogant.

Agalia: Rachel, answer Jongin-ssi's calls. The man's desperate. :))))

Agalia: I think Jongin's really gonna commit suicide if you don't answer his call. Please do. He's really getting worried.

Sehun: Rachel, Jong's looking for you. Call him back okay?

Oppa: Rachel, it's Oppa here. I'm in Paris right now when Jongin called me. I think he didn't know hahaha. Make up with him okay? I can tell he's really worried. That kid... He's been in love with you ever since we were young. Don't tease him anymore, baby sis.

Oh gosh he called Oppa?!

Kai: Rachel, please. I'm not angry with you. I just want to hear your voice.

Cheklin: Rachel, it's Cheklin. I love the way you're making fun of Jongin, but answer his calls okay?

Kai: I'm really desperate now. I can do anything. Seriously.

I laughed at this.

Agalia: RACHEL ANSWER KIM JONGIN'S CALLS HE'S DISTURBING BAEKHYUN AND ME A LOT. I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE. :(

Baekhyun: Rachel! It's Baekhyun. Yeah, Agalia's kinda mad right now. Answer Jongin's calls will you? Be a good girl :D

Kai: Rachel... Please...

I was still in a fit of giggles when the doorbell rang. Skipping to the door, I unlocked it and pulled it open. There he was, his hair slightly tousled. Undoubtably, he had been tearing at his hair (whether literal or not). He was in a faded blue jeans jacket and jeans, and in his hands, there laid a magnificent bouquet of flowers. His iridescent sparkling eyes brightened like a little child at the sight of double chocolate ice-cream when I opened the door, and I tried to suppress a smile.

"I have something for you." He nodded to the bouquet.

I shrugged. "I can see that." I pretended to examine the roses. "Wrong color though."

"Huh?"

"Yellow... Is the color for apology."

"I didn't come to apologise-"

"Oh-" I gave a face before slamming the door, but his grip was firm.

"What I meant was-" He panted, pushing the door using his weight. "I came to apologise, but more to say I love you."

I blushed scarlet.

"I'm sorry," He bit his lip, "You know I'm not good at this stuff." He raked his fingers through his hair. "But I'm sorry, I really am..." He gnashed his teeth, unsure of what to say.

"Done? bye!"

"Wait!" Kai's slammed his arm against the door, "What must I do before you'll forgive me?"

I prodded my chin, pretending to contemplate. I allowed my eyes to fall on the bouquet he was holding close to him.

"Hand me that."

He slipped the bouquet through the gaps in the gate. Pulling it close to me, I wafted the tantalizing aroma of the roses. Raising an eyebrow, I unlocked the gates.

Almost instantly, he lunged for me, pulling me in his arms. The roses crushed between us.

"Yah." I smiled. "You're crushing the flowers."

He released his hold and I promenaded to the dining table to lay the flowers down. All at once, I felt his arms snaking around my waist and his hot breath intent at my ear.

"I missed you. I didn't like it... Not seeing your smile, hearing you laugh..."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-nine

She tossed her mahogany locks from her line of vision and hugged her knees close to her. She had surmised that she would cut all ties with Kai the next day, and she was resolute.

But... Why was it that that lump in her throat just refused to budge? Why was it that her lips were drawn back in such distaste? Why was it that her face was contorted with sorrow? And most of all, why did her heart pound so hard that she felt all the nerves were about to break and she would slip onto oblivion? She didn't like the way breaking off from Kai made her feel. She felt as if her own life was slipping from her grasp and in no time, she would be a lifeless machine, torn from the world. She hankered for the return of innocuous childhood, where she was alien to the impertinences of the world and beyond.

"Sumgyeo do twinkle eojjeona?" The voices of Taetiseo permeated the serenity of the surroundings and she picked it up in annoyance.

"Yobu-"

"SAENGILCHUKHAHABNIDA, SAENGILCHUKHAHABNIDA, SARANGHAE PARK CHANYU, SAENGILCHUKHAHABNIDA!"

She smiled. Was it already midnight? Time passed so fast when you're crying.

"Rachel, happy birthday!" Kai sang into the phone. At the sound of his voice, she felt like crying all over again.

"Kai, gomawo..."

From her voice he heard a trace of sorrow. He panicked, making all sorts of conjectures about the cause of her unhappiness.

"Wae?" He worried. "Are you crying?"

"Anni-" She dried her tears, "I'm fine."

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" Kai sounded like a child in a search for food, and she smiled at the thought.

"Mmm..." She nodded to the phone.

That day seemed surreal to her. Early in the morn, Agalia and Baekhyun had celebrated her birthday with her, and had bestowed a glamorous jewellery set, the jet-setting Suho who was on a business trip had sent her the latest iPhone (Who knew his connections?), and Sehun and Cheklin had celebrated during lunch with her, presenting a Rolex to her. Her eyes were kept to a slit because of the happiness lavished on her, keeping her eye-smile on always.

Their fingers were interlinked as they strolled from shop to shop at the Seoul Namsan Tower. He had claimed his gift would be a late one, and one that she would be thrilled to the bones by. As they wandered from store to store, she wondered if her decision was going to be taken by him as an act "without the slightest bit of reverence" again. But no. Whether it was or not, she was going to do this, she had to. For him.

"Kai." She stopped him at a bench, gently patting the area next to him, gesturing him to sit down.

"I have a birthday wish. Can you grant it?"

"As long as it's within my means, I will." He vowed.

"Let's break up." She allowed the words to sink into him, cringed at his astounded expression before continuing, "You knew this day would have to come. You knew."

Standing up, she patted his shoulder, "You just granted my birthday wish. I don't need your present anymore."

Then she left.

But that didn't stop him from following her back all the way, pulling her into his car and driving her home. On the way home, she cried her eyes out, telling him how hard it was if he kept clinging on to her, and that they were bound to be in trouble. He listened to her words patiently, telling her he didn't care, that what mattered was for them to be together.

She clamoured for the couch upon reaching home. Her eyes welled up even though she thought she was done crying when he stroked the contours of her watery visage, and she traced his eyebrows in the dark. But he needed her to talk first before he could reciprocate. His eyes wandered out of the windows, looking at the darkened facades of the houses lining the street. Candles glowed in the windows of one. Orange glows from the street lamps cast shadows on the dark asphalt as a veil of twilight shrouded the city. In spite of the cold, smoke rose from the chimney.

The phone rang, penetrating the terrible silence. She reached for the phone, and Kai proceeded to switch on the light.

"Chanyu-ah, Oppa's overseas, but I had a cake delivered to your house. Is it there?"

Rachel peered at the table through watery eyes. Her cake was sitting precariously on the table looking pretty. Agalia must have left it there before she left for Baekhyun's house.

"Neh," She smiled weakly.

"Chanyu-ah, saengilchukhahae. Although Oppa's not in Seoul, I'll celebrate with you in spirit okay? Enjoy the cake! Oh... I gotta go. Enjoy your birthday!" Chanyeol piped before hanging up.

Rachel sniffed, and from the newspapers piling under the coffee table she retrieved a tape. Creaking her joints into motion, she handed Kai the tape.

"Take this, and have a good wedding tomorrow. I'll see you there."

Kai obtained an old and dusty Walkman from the storeroom, sauntering to his room. That day had been a long day, and he needed some respite from the ceased day's happenings. He looked at the tape in his hands. Like every tape, it had two sides of the tape to it; but unlike other tapes, there was the numbers '1' and '2' in cobalt blue nail varnish on either side.

With a sigh, he placed the '1' tape side into the Walkman and pressed play.

There was only static at first.

"Kai." Rachel's voice took the static away, "I hope you'll have a good wedding. You may argue otherwise, but I think that you'll soon fall for Cheklin. You will, and you'll forget about me. You..." Her voice broke, sending jitters down his spine, "Must be happy. Have lots of children okay? I wish you happiness. As long as you're happy, I'll be happy too. Goodbye Kai..." then the tape automatically ejected out of the Walkman.

Kai leaned down onto his bed, tears slipping down the contours of his face.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

It was the day of the wedding day. Workers could be seen streaming in and out of the wedding chapel, certifying that every audience bench had cloth spun with flowers hanging between them. This was going to be the biggest, most magnificent wedding in the whole of Seoul, the Kims and the Tans were going to guarantee it.

At the bride's room, Rachel was busying herself preparing the adequate amount and type of cosmetics needed for the bride. She was assiduous in ensuring that the bride's wedding dress was to be of utmost best condition, and was chary in dusting the costume. She was in charge of preparing the bride's wedding materials and cosmetics while Agalia would fetch the bride, along with Sehun. Rachel wondered how Sehun could still fetch his ex-girlfriend to get married, but she was not having an exceptionally good time either...

As her gaze fell on the wedding dress, she felt a prick on her heart. How she wished the wedding dress could be hers! It was a glamorous sequined dress she had especially picked out for Cheklin since Cheklin just didn't have the heart to care for purchasing one. The white silky lace was treasured by her because she coveted it. It had caused a hole in Cheklin's pocket, or rather, credit card, but Cheklin didn't care. She didn't need to care.

Two more hours till the wedding starts. Rachel finished making up with a quick brush from the blusher, uttering a fervent prayer that she wouldn't feel like crying when Kai and Cheklin got married. But was that even possible? The thought was too much to bear, let alone witness. She tried her best not to allow her mind to linger on this matter, and instantly wished Agalia was present to entertain her. Agalia would know the right things to say...

Speaking of Agalia, where was she? She was supposed to fetch Cheklin... Rachel lifted herself gently from the chair, careful not to crease any part of the pale pink dress Cheklin had asked her to don. Apparently, Cheklin had been more interested about what Rachel would wear.

Approaching the bridegroom's waiting room administered to Rachel a sense of dread - but she guessed that he shouldn't be here yet. It was so Kai to be late for events he didn't care about. She didn't want to doubt her dogmatic view towards her decisions because of the words Kai would utter through gritted teeth. Her firm grip on the handle, she pushed it open, calling, "Baekhyun, Agalia-"

She stood riveted to the ground in bated breath. Right in front of her stood Kai in a tuxedo. It was evident that he hadn't bothered, his hair was unkempt and he appeared scruffy, his shirt tucked out and his tie wasn't even tied properly.

Ignoring his presence, Rachel sauntered to Baekhyun. "Baekhyun, the wedding's in two hours, and Cheklin's nowhere in sight. I need to help her with make-up but I can't get Agalia... Can you help me get Agalia, I-"

Kai swung her around, his sturdy grip intensifying its tenacity. "I thought I asked you not to come here."

She couldn't lift her gaze from the flawless floor to look at him.

Baekhyun sighed and ambled towards them. "I'll just go and talk to Agalia." placing a hand on Kai's shoulder, he said, "Have a good talk."

Kai didn't even look at him.

"You knew that I would come. Cheklin would want me to."

Kai sighed.

"Why can't you just listen to me for once?" Kai hollered, scaring the wits out of her. Kai had never yelled at her, and now he had his hands on her shoulders, with his head bent down, not facing her anymore.

"Why can't you spare a thought for yourself... I can't take care of you anymore..." He shook his head. He lifted his head to look at her, and she almost gasped in shock. His eyes were filled with tears.

"Kai... I had to come. I had to. You know I had to." she was fatigued, having to explain all of this to him. "Why can't you look at things in my way? I want to be there for you, just like how sehun would for Cheklin. For once I want to be the one protecting and loving, I don't want-"

She didn't carry on any further, for Kai had kissed her. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins, but she tore away from the kiss, against her instinct urging her not to.

"Kai-"

Baekhyun burst through the door. "Rachel I can't get Agalia too, I think- wait, did I just interrupt something?"

Rachel and Kai quickly dried their tears before he pulled a chair next to her and sat down, placing his head in his hands.

"No, you didn't..." Rachel trailed. "You couldn't get Agalia? Gosh, what's wrong with this girl... Anyway-" She stole a glance at Kai. "I'll just leave then."

"No." He held her hand, preventing her from moving any further.

"Let go." She croaked, and then realized the startling cognition of the words. She had said the exact same thing when she broke up with him.

"No." He pulled her into a back hug, allowing her to rest on his lap. His lips were stupefyingly close to her ear.

"I don't want to let go." He caressed her cheek, stroking the contours tenderly.

And then Kai's mother came bursting though the door.

The first thing that sprung into Kai's head was: What do people keep coming in without knocking? Rachel's reaction was electric though - she almost flew from Kai, and Kai stood up with a sigh of displeasure.

"How could you do this?!" Kai's mother pointed to them with her jewel-encrusted finger, and then she slapped Rachel.

Baekhyun's eyes widened, and Kai's reaction was epic.

"What do you think you're doing?" He demanded, fury evident in his eyes.

Kai's mother foundered. She seethed in wrath, "If the Tans see you and her-" She directed her perfectly-manicured pointer finger back at Rachel- "They will kill you."

"I don't care." Kai pulled Rachel to him- "But you. If you dare touch her ever again, I promise you, I will humiliate you for the rest of your life and-"

At this precise moment, Agalia entered the room. Seizing this opportunity, Rachel raced towards her, taking her hand.

"Agalia, where's Cheklin?" wait, this was fishy. "And sehun?"

Agalia paused for a second. "Rachel. Stop pulling my leg."

"Agalia! I'm serious! Where is Cheklin?"

"Rachel! I'm serious that I don't know!" Agalia's exasperated voice served no use for Rachel's anxious nerves.

The Tans came rushing into the bridegroom's waiting room, fretful and jittery for their missing daughter. The younger generation in the room bowed out of respect pronto, and Mr and Mrs Tan scrambled towards Rachel, claiming that their daughter had left the house long ago.

"I thought- Cheklin said that _you_ were going to fetch her..." Agalia stuttered.

Gradually, it dawned on her. The reason as to why Sehun and Cheklin could not look into her eyes and say that they would be present at the wedding, why they seemed sheepish in everything they did, everything they said. So they had planned it long ago... She smiled. It was just like Cheklin- rash, impulsive, but she sure didn't expect it from Sehun.

Everyone's eyes were on Rachel. She could feel the worried glances of Cheklin's parents, Agalia and Baekhyun's confusion, the scornful look of contempt from Kai's mother, Kai's doubtless attitude that Rachel knew something. The black and white were slowly ebbing away, leaving a patch of grey as the truth emerged from down under.

But this time, Rachel was sure her conjecture was incontrovertible.

"They're planning to elope together."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One

RACHEL

I paced back and forth in the bridegroom's waiting room, solicitous for Cheklin and Sehun. Agalia and Baekhyun were positioned at the back of the room on the couch, and I could tell Agalia was as worried as I was. Baekhyun was holding her hand, and somehow it seemed that having her hand in his was apt for both of them to still be blissful despite the propinquity of the situation. Kai's mother was busy typing on her phone, presumptively dispatching her men to find them. Cheklin's parents were seated away from our party, fervently uttering prayers that my speculation was not true.

Frankly speaking, I wasn't that distraught. I mean, I was uptight about their safety, but I knew that Sehun would take care of her. And I didn't know why, but a part of me, and I wasn't sure how prominent that part of me was, was hopeful and actually relieved that they wouldn't marry after all. It was a terrible mentality, but I guess I wasn't as perfect and kind as I was made out to be.

As if on cue, my phone rang with an urgency that sent jitters down my spine.

"Yobu- Cheklin ah!"

Cheklin's parents' eyes immediately brightened.

"Hey Rach... Have you guessed it?"

I sighed. "About your absconding?"

Now it was her turn to sigh. "Rachel, we- forget it, take it however you like, but we're gonna get married." My heart leapt at the sound of those words. "We're in Japan, I trust that you won't tell my parents... I don't know how we're gonna make through this, but we will. I'm just... I just... We're so tired of this, you know? I mean, they're always using us like we're chess pieces, and-"

That renowned quote occurred to me all of a sudden. "You don't want to be a piece-"

"Of their games. Exactly."

I smiled. "Let me speak to Sehun."

"Rach?"

"Sehun! How could you be so rash-" I was babbling and rambling. "This is not something I'll expect from you, even if you thought of this I trusted that you would be sensible enough not to-"

"Rachel. Do you know what's your biggest problem."

"You don't practice what you preach. You were the very person who taught Agalia and me to hold on to our happiness, that if I want to bring her happiness, all the more I should hold on to her, because I know that I'm the only one who can make her happy... Yet you don't do it yourself. You're always letting go, always giving up..."

"Sehun-" I whined. "It's not like that-"

"It's exactly like that, Rachel. And that's what I'm trying to say, stop doing this, stop hurting yourself. Think of yourself for once, and stop implanting your dogmatic intuitions on others, because it might not be the case for someone else-" My gaze lifted to look at Kai, whose eyes softened when they landed on mine and gave me a revivifying smile.

"Hold on to your happiness, Rach, and never let go..." I could almost hear him smile. "I didn't."

Once I was off the phone, everyone swamped towards me, bombarding me with seemingly incessant questions. My eyes fell on Cheklin's parents. "They're getting married." I tried to say in the most factual and professional manner I could handle. Upon the fact, Cheklin's mother almost fainted, and I could see the glazed emptiness in Cheklin's father's eyes. My heart wrenched with pity. They did love their daughter after all... But if they did love her, shouldn't they have let her be with Sehun?

Amidst the melee, Kai took my hand and led me out of the bridegroom's waiting room. He leaned in quickly and in shock, I slammed my back against the wall, my heart compressed with an asphyxiating squeeze. He cornered me, placing his palms to the wall around me.

He leaned towards me, his lips so close to my ear they were barely touching.

"So now you won't have any excuse to push me away anymore..."

Then he planted a chaste kiss on my lips.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

The wedding was officially called off, and Kai was flooded with relief. He couldn't wait to rush to Rachel's house, but he was indispensable in some matters, and he knew that. Kai's wretched mother had still asked for the wedding to be postponed, that she was positive that Cheklin and Sehun would not actually get married, but thankfully, Cheklin's parents had decided to allow their daughter to embark on a journey of freedom and not be reigned in by her parents... In layman terms, they decided to allow Sehun to be their future son-in-law. Kai, with his glib tongue, had managed to persuade the Tans into still merging the companies, because he understood the importance of that, and the Tans had signed the agreement that very day.

He was still on outrageously awful terms with his mother, but for now, Rachel was his top priority.

The tinkling of the keys on the piano was enough to move him to tears. He guessed Rachel was present in his house. He wondered how she had made her way in, but he postulated that she had asked the butler Mr Kris and his brother Tao, whom was also his bodyguard apart from a guy named Kyungsoo. The latter was shorter than Kai, and he often marveled at the outrageous fact that Kyungsoo had an age-defying face - he looked younger than Kai sometimes... But don't get him even started on his two extremely hilarious bodyguards...

Kai had a white grand piano he seldom played on, because it wasn't exactly his passion, but he knew Rachel had such an obsession, so he assured her that she could come and play on his piano when she craved. He stood at the threshold of the piano room, letting his eyes wander to her. Her hands glided across the piano, and the B flat major song sounded so familiar under her fingers. Then he realized when she started singing the song.

It was Baby Don't Cry.

"Baby don't cry tonight, Eodumi geodhigo namyeon-" Her voice broke and he felt a pang in his heart. She was crying.

"Baby don't cry tonight, Eobseotdeon iri dwil geoya"

She paused, her tears falling as rain. She couldn't control her overwhelming emotions, they were suffocating, sucking the breath out of her from the inside, taking her heart over and over again, smashing it as if it were a glass vase... She believed nothing lasted forever, and that Kai and her were like flowers stuck In a transparent vase, and that any moment, their happiness will be short-lived, seized away from them as if all the waiting wasn't worth it, as if the fate would forever not be on their side...

Before she could continue, his voice found their way out of his lips.

"Mulgeopumi dwineun geoseun niga aniya

Geutnae mwollayahaedeon"

Rachel paused, her heart literally stopped. He was here. Kai was here again. She felt his arms sling across her shoulders before tying around her waist in a back hug, his chin tucked on her shoulder, breathing down her neck as he sang those heart-stirring words.

"So baby don't cry,cry

Nae sarangi neol jigitaeni"

His lips traced her neck, comforting her, imperceptibly making their way up her jaw, then they touched her lips, and she sighed into the kiss, a smile curving her lips.

Kai would be here forever. She could trust that.

After ceaseless crying, Rachel had at long last fallen asleep. He shifted in his position with Rachel on his shoulder. He reached out into his tuxedo pocket and obtained the tape that Rachel had recorded for him. It was such a small, insignificant little gesture but it hurt him so deeply, because it was her heartfelt wishes for his now cancelled marriage, an event that she most certainly couldn't have felt happy for.

Unclipping the cover open, he reached for the tape and flipped it over. It occurred to him on the spur of the moment that he had never listened to the second side of the tape because he was so affected after the first.

Gazing in an enamored fashion at Rachel, he gently placed her head on the pillow, careful not to wake her. He smiled at the thought of the amount of coaxing and assurance that he was forever there for her in order to let her rest her heart.

Lifting his body weight off the bed, he obtained a old and rusty tape recorder from the storeroom, a room no one had been in ages. He inserted the tape (side 2) into the tape recorder and pressed play.

"Hi Kai! I hope you don't listen to this until you're like eighty or something... Kekeke... Or beyond... I mean, it depends how long you'll live... Keke..."

He smiled at her cuteness, wondering if her heart thudded as loudly as his did now when she recorded this.

"Kai, I hope you'll have a great family life... Love Cheklin and take care of her okay? Jeongmal jeongmal. I'm sure you'll fall for her in no time, and you will protect her, I trust you to that. Just like you've always loved me, I know you'll love her too. Oh, if you have children, I want to be their godmother! I'm officially taking that position, understood?" She paused. "You must be happy okay? I trust that you and Cheklin will be happy. I always thought that only Sehun can make her happy, but now I guess I beg to differ. You can too... But... If you ever dare to break her heart, I promise you, you will live a terrible life..." He could almost see her wagging her finger as she laughed.

There was only static now. He panicked and prodded, before banging the tape recorder, hard. He paused it, before pressing play again.

"Look, who am I kidding." Her voice was gravely serious, he shuddered. "I'm not an angel, who can sacrifice and pretend everything's not happening and just continue lying to you so you can be happy... Neither am I a machine, devoid of any real emotions. I'm only Park Chanyu, an imperfect, nondescript poor girl who has no value and can only bring you harm."

His eyes were flooded with tears as he brushed them away. He didn't like the way she put herself down that way. She was perfect, sufficient and enough for him. She had no right to judge herself this way, not after the amount of love he had showered her with. She wasn't being fair to herself.

"I wish... I wish I had time control, that I could turn back time and try to change some things, so we could be together... But alas, it's not possible... Starting from tomorrow, Kai and Rachel..." she sighed. "We'll be history."

"Perhaps there are actually two moons, that in this world we're living in is under one moon, and in the other universe, the parallel universe you promise me, we're... We're together, happily ever after."

He smiled past the tears at that thought. If only...

"But it's not happening here."

He felt as if his heart was being ripped apart at the desolation strong in her voice.

"I love you, Kai... After I lost my memory, you were the beautiful guy who showed and taught me what is love, showering..." She laughed, a nice yet sorrowed laugh. "Smothering your love on me."

"That day, when we broke up, I... I wanted to die. When I saw you, still holding on to me so desperately, do you have any idea how much I wanted to rush into your arms and kiss you? Do you know how much I love you?"

"On your birthday, when you shouted your lungs out for me, when you asked if you looked happy, when you told me you love me... I... I just felt this floaty feeling, like everything just stopped there. I felt the world swirling and then stopping abruptly, as if life had ceased to exist... Like... Like I buried myself and my mind was my tomb."

"I love you, Kai. Don't doubt that. Maybe... When you've children on your own, you could tell them how much this girl named Rachel loved you... The beautiful memories of us together... Perhaps you could tell them, one day when you've stopped loving me. Because memories are made of these, right? Memories are supposed to be empty of our emotions, of our happiness and our sadness, our love and our joy, living in solitude, in a little drawer... But they are not. They exist in either like birds in a flock, because we hope someday, that with enough of them on each on our wing, we might be able to fly..."

He smiled. Rachel always had the knack of taking something small and making it into something beautiful.

"Kai... Do you believe in reincarnation?" He smiled, nodding. "Maybe we could wait... And when we pass on, maybe, maybe we'll reincarnate as lovers..."

There was a long and nerve-wrecking silence on the other line.

"Kai, everything I just said above... Erase them away, from your memory." Her voice was silent and grave,

What?

"Forget about me."

The tape ended and automatically ejected. With a sinking heart, Kai left the tape in its position and went back to bed.

Rachel had awoken and she watched as Kai lay his head down on the pillow next to her, facing the ceiling. She could tell by his silence that his eyes were empty; destitute. She excogitated about the cause of his barren mind, or perhaps... He was thinking of something.

She reached out and touched his cheek, and her heart felt the epitome of paroxysm.

It was wet.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty-Three

Two months later...

RACHEL

The doorbell chimed and I rushed to get it. At the threshold of my house stood two beautiful people I hadn't met for a long time. My heart swelled with joy. It was Sehun and Cheklin. Ever since they had confessed to me about their skedaddling two months ago, I hadn't seen them nor talked to them, because I had expected that they would want some alone time together before reaching home in Seoul to face the music.

"Sehun!" I ran forward and embraced Sehun. He still smelt so nice and brotherly. Gosh, I had missed him so much. He patted my shoulder, his emotions seemed as irrepressible as mine.

"Yah." Cheklin laughed. "He's my husband now okay."

I smacked Cheklin on her arm. "He was and is still my best friend okay."

I poured drinks for both of them and sat down on the couch next to them, smiling.

"You guys. You're so rash. You had no idea how worried I was." I wagged my finger disapprovingly, before throwing my head backwards and laughing. I hadn't laughed like that in ages.

"Mianhae... Noona..." Sehun pouted. Then he turned serious. "Have you and Jongin...?"

"Tied the knot? No." My eyes drifted down to my hands, and I twiddled my fingers nervously as if I were being interrogated by the police.

"Why not?" Cheklin demanded. "We gave you such a good opportunity to... Rachel! Why didn't you-"

"Elope with Kai to Japan and marry him in secrecy?" I laughed. "Not really my kind of thing, huh?"

"No," Sehun shook his head zealously. "We never really knew what your kind of thing was."

I looked down, the mood suddenly wrecked.

"You were always preaching about something, and then on the other side, you wouldn't fulfill it. Always pushing people away... You did that to Jongin, and sometimes to me, Agalia... Rachel." He took my hand, holding it in his. His hand felt warm and the absence of frigidity from it made me smile. "Stop making your Kai, your perfect man, wait for you. Why don't you two just-"

"Ignore the consequences and get married? Just together, living happily ever after?" I shook my head. "You think I didn't think of that before? I thought of it, many times, but, well. If some things are not resolved then-"

"If you're talking about his mother, he told me it was resolved... Apparently he called his father and told him everything, about his mother having a one-sided affair with your father and all-" I noticed he stressed on the 'one-sided', "And his father, well. Jongin's father knew all about it long ago, just oh I don't know. Ask him about the details... Anyway, his father's divorcing his mother and such-"

I felt a little pang. She did wish with all her heart that she could receive happiness by being rich, a divorce would just break more hearts... As well as Kai... He would wish for a perfect family, and I knew that the principles and character of his mother reduced him to a great amount of sorrow.

"I know, I know, Sehun. Anyway-" I tried, in a hope to divert the topic, "I mean, I can't be so desperate right, he hasn't even popped the question!"

Sehun smiled from his seat, but I felt that from his smile his eyes were a little narrower, as if trying to focus on a distant object, before he smiled again mischievously.

"So I was thinking," I gestured, "when he's actually ready-"

"We could, you know, get married." A bolt from the blue, Kai's voice was ingrained into my head and I swung around at once. Kai smirked his signature smirk and walked over, putting his arm around me.

"So you did think about it after all" He smiled, leaning down to kiss me. I relaxed into the kiss with him, turning a blind eye to the two people standing in the room who were coincidentally my friends.

"Oh, get a room!" Sehun sniggered.

"Shut up Sehun."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

RACHEL

Throngs of graduates swarmed the Sungkyunkwan University's ballroom, a sea of tuxedos and gowns gushing into the room, engulfing the chambers with their tuneless laughter. The tick-tocks from the sylphs' stilettos made me sigh in peace. It was the Graduation Party, and I was looking for Kai, but as usual, he was nowhere to be found.

"Hey Rach!" Agalia tapped me on the shoulder, smiling, walking hand in hand with Baekhyun. I waved gleefully.

"You look so pretty!" I gave her a thumbs-up.

"You too." She smiled, but she waved a hand down her front, flaunting her flawless figure.

Sehun and Cheklin were alone in a corner, so I thought I'll better not disturb the newly-wedded couple. Almost everyone in our Homeroom A knew of their marriage, and some even thought it was shameful, but it seemed it didn't bother them. Sehun and Cheklin would forever be in a world of their own, hopelessly in love.

I felt his arms snake around my waist. "You're finally here." I said without a thought.

"Mmm." He took my hand. "Let's go, I've somewhere to bring you."

"But it's-"

"No one will even realize. Come on!"

We got into his car and headed off. He whistled a tune, ostensibly exhilarated by something unimaginable. I let my eyes fall on his features - those double-eyelids, smiling bright eyes, his unblemished nose, full pink lips, his beautiful face culminating in the prominent jawline. His lips parted into a smile at the sight in front of him.

"Close your eyes now." He smiled.

Although lifting an eyebrow, I did as I was told, shutting my eyes. The trip to nowhere seemed endless, and I could almost hear the distant echo of our hearts pumping alongside each other.

"We've reached. Keep your eyes closed. I'll come and get you." He unbuckled his seatbelt and heaved the car door open, his weight suddenly off the seat. I felt him jogging around the car to open the door, still smiling all the way.

"Your hand." I lifted my hand and it naturally fell into his, as he brought me out from the car. We were outside, I was sure. I could feel the warmth of the setting sun and the cool breeze caressing my face. The ground at the mercy of my Jimmy Choos was soft, and I speculated our venue.

"You can open your eyes now."

My eyelids flipped open slowly, and I was immediately enthralled by the sight before me. We were at a beach. The sands were soft and seemingly untouched, either that or maintained really well, glimmering like powdered light on that April day. The soft whistle of the wind insinuated its way into my ears, and the turquoise seawater lapped at the shores in its Friday drowsiness. The orange sun sank wearily, flushed and worn, and the day lay crouched upon the deep sea, half closed, as eyes half-closed in sleep, half-closed, as some good book half-read.

The sea was as an opal sea inlaid with scintillating light, laying banked. The sundown sea now shone, mobile, translucent, flaming, molten steel, red, green, then tenfold more than red, and then of every hue, a hint of doubloons spilling from the mint of gold. The air smelled of salty ocean spray and the sand felt crumbly and fine under my stilettos. I sighed in peace, turning with a questioning look towards him.

"This is your beach," he smiled. "And I'm going to call it 'Rachel's Beach'!" He chuckled to himself.

"How original." I snorted. "And seriously, Kai? Imagining that you bought a beach for me? That's so mature." I rolled my eyes. Kai loved to tease me, tricking me and then letting me on the truth.

"But I did." His innocuous eyes made me sigh.

"Don't lie, Kai. I know the rules, you can't just-"my hands swept across the perfect scenery. "Buy a beach!"

Kai sighed dramatically, still resting his arm on the bonnet of his car. "I told you, things that others can't do, I can. There's nothing I can't do." He smirked.

I narrowed my eyes. "I don't believe you."

He shrugged, lifting his arm and pointing towards the distance. "See that house over there?" His lips parted into a smile. "That's ours."

I whipped my head around, and a beautiful beach house came into sight. Upon closer inspection, there was a signboard that read "Mr and Mrs Kim Jongin".

"OH MY GOSH KAI- how? I mean- why? I mean- what?"

He smirked. "I told you, there's nothing I can't do."

"But why?"

"Oh, it's your really late birthday present."

"OH MY GOSH KAI." I gave him the look. "You don't buy a beach for someone's birthday, you just don't do that."

He smiled, bringing me into his arms. I felt the steadfast heartbeat emanating from his chest on my back. "But you're not just 'someone', you're Rachel, you're my-" He sighed. "Anyway, it's beautiful isn't it? Simply exotic?"

I nodded, speechless.

"So-" He pondered how to say it. "I was thinking, when we get married, we can, you know. I mean, after our honeymoon and all that stuff, we can come back and live in that beach house like- during the weekends or something, I don't know. What do you say?"

This time it was my turn to smile. "Who said she was going to marry you?"

He shrugged, coming to stand before me. Then he did the unthinkable.

The infamously arrogant Kim Jongin went down on one knee and obtained a box from his pocket, holding my gaze with his smile. Opening the box, I saw a sparkling ring glistening in the sunlight.

"Kai-"

"Rachel, we have been together for like what? Two years? And perhaps that time is too short for you, but it's been a long time for me. We've been through so much together, and after everything that's happened, it made me realize something. That my life really wouldn't be complete without you."

He smiled. "Okay, that sounds cheesy enough, but you know what I mean. The thing is, I can't see myself without you, and I acknowledge the fact that, yes, I do need you. So-"

He pursed his lips tightly, contemplating his choice of words.

"I love you, and I promise you that I will take care of you for the rest of your life. I won't let you shed any more tears, and I promise you that I will only bring you joy and laughter. I want you to be the first person I see when I awake, and the last before I fall asleep. Whether in wealth or poverty, in sickness or in good health, I promise to love you forever..."

He bit his lip. My heart thumped. Tears had taken that time to well up in my eyes.

"Will you marry me?" His eyes felt like they were gazing into my soul, begging for an answer.

Kai was right. Just like him, I wouldn't be able to be happy without him.

Drawing in a deep breath, I smiled.

"Yes."


	35. Final

Chapter Thirty-five

"There. You look perfect." Agalia beamed as she hooked on the wedding veil for her, patting her shoulder.

It was the day of the wedding, but no - not any other wedding, Kai and her wedding. She could hardly contain her elation and she didn't try to hide it. Surely Agalia and Cheklin understood how she felt, after the tumultuous relationship, it was certainly helpful to bring it to another level.

Rachel glanced at herself in the mirror before her. She was stunning, thanks to Agalia. Her hair was pushed back, cascading down underneath the white translucent lace veil, touching the cape of her neck and her back. The make-up complimented her face, removing traces of baby fat. The wedding halter-neck dress was milky white, flaunting her skin tone. She smiled, lifting all her features. She looked, she had to admit, kinda pretty.

Cheklin placed a small bag on the dressing table in front of Rachel, her face contorted with a mischievous grin.

"Here's our wedding gift for you." she smirked.

"Agalia, Cheklin, you didn't have to-"

"Rachel, if you look at what is it, you would accept it." Rachel raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Agalia and Agalia gave her a surreptitious ghost of a smile. "Go on, look at it!"

Rachel reached into the bag as Agalia and Cheklin giggled enigmatically. She felt the lace and pulling the piece of cloth out, she gasped in shock. It was a black lace spaghetti-striped nightgown. By the length of it, it seemed it would scarcely cover her thighs. Agalia and Cheklin wasn't suggesting they-

"Done, ladies?" Suho appeared at the door, and Rachel hastily slipped the nightgown back into the bag.

"Yes." Agalia and Cheklin chirped unanimously.

Rachel stood up and Suho smiled. "You're beautiful."

Suho placed his arms on her shoulders. "You're getting married today, Rachel, congratulations. You're finally grown up, getting married even earlier than me!" He felt tears in his eyes, and he blinked them away. Even if... Even if you're not my bride, I'll be happy for you. As long as you're happy, so will I. I just want you to be happy, you'll do that, won't you? Be happy, for me?

"Done?" Chanyeol peeped his head through the door and smiled. Suho dropped his hands from her shoulder and turned away, stalking to the wedding ceremony, and even though he tried to hide it, the dejected stoop of his shoulders was conspicuous. she felt a squeeze in her heart watching his silhouette backing off.

Rachel slipped her arm through the crook of Chanyeol's arm and walked out, with Agalia holding a small bouquet of roses parading in front. Cheklin went back to the chapel and settled next to Sehun.

Eventually, they found their way to the chapel. The red carpet was rolled out in its grandeur, and as Rachel and Chanyeol appeared at the threshold of the chapel, the wedding guests turned towards them. Drawing in a deep breath, they began sashaying down the aisle. Kim Jongdae was seated at the front, and Jung Sooyeon was, expectedly, absent from the wedding. Park Jaehyun was seated at the other side and he beamed at them as his children came into view. Rachel searched her eyes for all her friends.

Junmyun Oppa. Suho smiled as she passed him. You are my biggest confidante and comforter. Thank you for always being by my side, and never forsaking me, even when I was in the dumps. You are like my guardian angel, forever taking care of me, preventing me from getting hurt, loving me... Thank you for everything...

Cheklin. Thank you for being an awesome friend... Ironically, your impulse was the factor that allowed Kai and me to be together... Do you know how grateful I am to you? Cheklin smiled as they met eyes. Your cheeriness and happy-go-lucky character never fails to bring me smiles, oh. And I'm sorry for always stealing your husband, she giggled to herself. But you know that we will always be best friends right?

Sehun. You alone would know how much I am grateful to you. You are always supporting me, no matter what I do, even if it could be wrong... You literally brought Kai and me together... You are always by my side, through thick and thin, even though you're approximately two months younger than me, you always behaved like an Oppa to me... Protecting me, taking care of me, loving me as you would to a younger sister... Thank you, Sehunnie. You're the best.

Agalia. She watched Agalia's hair bouncing as she nodded to the elders in the front. Agalia, you have always been the better out of the two of us, thank you for everything. Since we were young, you always backed me up, always helping me no matter what happened. You are always by my side, whether I need you or not, and no words can express my gratitude for you. Thank you for being you, thank you for your cheeriness, I really am very grateful that my life has been bestowed with you. Thank you, Agalia. Thank you very, very much.

Baekhyun was standing behind Kai at the altar. Baekhyun, thank you for always being jubilant and cheerful. Thank you for settling the disputes between Kai and Sehun, and for always watching out for me too. You are a great friend, and I know you are an even better boyfriend to Agalia. Take care of my best friend for me, won't you? She's a good girl, and I think she deserves a good guy like you.

Kai. Rachel felt her lips curving up into a smile.

The priest said the opening speech, as Chanyeol handed Kai Rachel's hand. Kai nodded, and looked at Chanyeol with a gaze that almost seem to mean...

Don't worry.

They walked towards the altar, and Rachel could feel Kai's amatory gaze on her under her veil.

"Do you, Kim Jongin ssi, promise to take Park Chanyu ssi to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness or in good health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Kai sneaked a glance towards her, narrowing his eyes jokingly.

"I do."

"Do you, Park Chanyu ssi, promise to take Kim Jongin ssi to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness or in good health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part?"

Rachel smiled.

"I do."

They exchanged rings, blushing as their hands made contact.

"I hereby pronounce you man and wife." and to Kai, he nodded, "You may kiss the bride now."

Kai lifted the wedding veil gradually, gazing passionately at the girl under the veil, his now lawfully wedded wife, slipping the veil over her head, and then planting a soft kiss on her lips.

I promise you, Rachel. I promise to bring you happiness.

Forever and ever, ever after.


End file.
